CONTENTS

R amana A shtottaram

Editorial Fullness and Stillness

The Miracle Of Water Christopher Quilkey

Poem: Who Am I D. Samarender Reddy

17

The Paramount Importance Of Self Attention Sadhu Om

19

Verse: The Names Of Lalitha Ramesh Menon

27

The Power Of Silence Berjis Desai

29

Keyword: Ashrama John Grimes

37

Ulladu Narpadu: Verse Thirty Six S. Ram Mohan

41

Chidambaram Or Tillai Padma Seshadri and Padma Malini

Sundararaghavan

45

Kumaradeva T.V. Venkatasubramanian

and David Godman

61

Bhagavans Steady Guidance Sol Sandperl

77

Poem: On The Death By Drowning Upahar

82

The Story Of The Diamond Qadre Alam

83

Poem: Prayer Ana Callan

89

Advaita Vedanta And Kashmir Saivism John Grimes

91

The Quest: Miracles And Sadhana Lucia Osborne

99

Viswanatha Swami Murray Feldman

105

Poem: Mother Mayas Magic Picture Show Alan Jacobs

109

Maha Bhakti Vijayam: Tulasidas Recovers From Infatuation

Nabaji Siddha

111

A runachala P urana Saiva Ellappa Navalar

116

B ook R eviews

123

A shram Bulletin

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Ramana Ashtottaram
83. Aae< ivntay nm>
Om Vinatya namah.
Prostration to the meek and humble one.
Bhagavan taught and practised the utmost humility. Muruganar
says, Meeker than the meekest, through meekness the Supreme
reveals his true supremacy.
Humility should not be mistaken for weakness or the lack
of courage. Humility is the respect given to all life; it is the
recognition that Brahman exists in all manifestation.
84. Aae< ivnutay nm>
Om Vinutya namah.
Prostration to the adored one.
Proving thus through meekness his supremacy, he was adored
by all. In the last line of Siva Puranam in Tiruvachakam, those
who bow in worship at the Feet of Siva are exalted by all. By
negating oneself it becomes possible to be fully aware of all that
surrounds oneself. In that awareness is the recognition of the
all-pervasiveness nature of Brahman and the realisation of ones
complete identification with it. By adoring the jnani we partake
of that divine union.

October - December

Fullness and
Stillness

hen we look at Arunachala what exactly do we see? We notice

an imposing hill that takes on a distinctive character with each
new angle of observation. When we gaze at a photo of Bhagavan or
sit at his samadhi what is it that we observe? We may see a benign
or majestic image or observe a shrine that has a calm presence and
seems to throw off a subtle light. In all of these moments we think of
ourselves as different from what we see and experience. There is an
apparent sense of separation maintained by space and time. We know
we are in the presence of something significant but it is unmanifest.
However we scrutinise it, it eludes our understanding. We cannot
put our finger on it. It is mysterious, frustrating and yet, ultimately
reassuring.
There is a celebrated mantra in the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad:
Om purnamadah purnamidam purnat purnam udacyate
Purnasya purnamadaya purnam evavasisyate.
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MOUNTAIN PATH

Translated literally it says: That (the unmanifest) is whole and

perfect; This (the manifest) is whole and perfect, because this whole
has come out of that whole. Even on taking out the whole from that
whole what remains is still whole.1
The word purna is repeated in almost every compound. Purna
has a wide range of meanings in English: whole, complete, perfect. It
sums up in one word the nature of reality which is both unmanifest
as well as manifest. We can neither add nor subtract from it. In the
presence of Arunachala or Bhagavan we experience purna. Even when
we appear to be separate we experience purna. Neither the unmanifest
nor the manifest affects the sense of wholeness.
This is all very well but how do we make sense of it in our lives
when we witness discord and a sense of incompleteness? How do
we reconcile the value of physical proximity to Arunachala and the
ashram and the fact that many of us cannot be there, due to family
or work commitments? It appears we are leading a double life. Are
we fooling ourselves? Is the statement Arunachala and Bhagavan are
everywhere a placebo with which we deceive ourselves?
First we need to understand what exactly Arunachala and Bhagavan
are. Let us leave aside the physical differences which make each an
individual entity. At the most basic level, we are not a bunch of rocks
whose geographical co-ordinates are in south India. We are not Sri
Ramana Maharshi, a south Indian sage who lived at such and such a time.
We are investigating what we have in common with both. Our conclusion
is that our identification with them is on an unmanifest level where there
is no sense of difference. In brief, we could say that we are modifications
of the same consciousness. What we seek in them is a continuation of
our own wholeness. By gazing at them we are looking into a pure mirror
that reflects wholeness. No wonder we cannot get enough.
1

Brhadaranyaka Upanishad , verse v.i.i. Translators sometimes prefer Brahman or the

infinite instead of unmanifest. Infinite can imply unlimited space or time while
unmanifest indicates the transcendental and eternal principle of which the human
being is but a transient variation. This translation is taken from Man, God and the
Universe by I.K. Taimni, published by the Theosophical Society, Adyar, 2005. p.147.

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FULLNESS AND STILLNESS

Though we experience fullness in their presence it seems never

enough because we move away either in mind or body. We also miss
the point. We mistakenly want to take on the attributes of Arunachala
or Bhagavan. We sing in praise of them, we identify with them and
we are assuaged temporarily but it will never be sufficient. In the
background it seems there is always that sense of incompleteness.
Whatever is manifest, changes and when nothing apparently remains
the same, how do we secure it so that we can remain whole, purna?
The answer is obvious, we cant. There is no instrument of our mind
which can stick it down till it cant move. And if we do it is inert.
There is no fool-proof certificate declaring we have got it. In this world
we are continually in a state of flux. When we mistake the manifest
for that which is unmanifest we are ignorant and suffer. Instead of
living in the moment we accumulate, be it experiences, facts, places,
people, money, power, fame, stamps. The list is potentially endless.
Maya is the concept used in Advaita to explain the inexplicable and
subtle change in the changeless which brings about the appearance of
the world. Advaita says the manifest appearance is an illusory form of
Brahman; that there is no difference, there is no change, it is merely
a fantasy. In other words, we are deluded if we think we can own or
contain that which is so subtle it is beyond any conception.2
In our world of manifestation is there any form which
approximates that purna? Is there a lifeline which can remove us from
our limited vision or are we doomed to be casual recipients of our fate
due to blind chance? Stillness is the closest approximation or attribute
we can conceive of that purna. The serene stillness (achala) of that red
hill of tejas (fire, light, heat) we call Arunachala. The motionless bindu,
point, from which radiates the perpetual movement of Lord Natarajas
cosmic dance. The still empty centre of the wheel as it turns. But we
2

Kena Upanishad, I-3. The eye does not reach there, nor speech, nor mind, nor do
we know (Its nature). Therefore we dont know how to impart instruction (about
It). Distinct indeed is That from the known and distinct from the unknown.
Thus have we heard from the ancients who expounded It to us. Translated by
Vidyavachaspati V. Panoli.

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MOUNTAIN PATH

should remember these are all analogies and not the thing in itself.
For if we can conceive of something as rigid it means it is limited.
We come to realise that we are not looking for the target to aim
our thoughts, we are the target. Our mind and body are an effect not
a cause. We are not doing, rather something is being done to us. By
identification with our mind, which is a factory of thought we are
already frozen in time and space. Knowing the co-ordinates of our
location and shape does not mean we know who we are. In the same
way it does not matter how much we accumulate knowledge, the
information is already lifeless unless it is used to point to something
beyond itself. We are like the thief in Bhagavans analogy who turns
into a policeman to catch himself.3
How do we turn round and catch ourselves?
We can do so by stillness. Not by reaching for some panacea, not
by possessing an idea or a mood but by waiting. When Bhagavan
says summa iru, just be as upadesa (instruction) it means not only be
but can also mean wait. Wait and see. It implies a pause. The sign of
maturity in a sadhaka is the ability to wait and not just grab whatever
is in front of him for instant gratification. Do we desperately need that
new gadget, car, clothes? Are we so frantic we cannot pause for the
last person to join the dinner table? Are we so insecure we cannot wait
until the other person has completed his sentence before speaking? Is
that book so important we want it just because of an impulse? Can
we not wait that one extra minute?
This ability to wait gives us the space to allow possibilities to
arise. Instead of forcing the issue we wait and see what turns up. We
3

Can the phenomenal mind be reasonably conceived as transcending the

phenomenal plane of existence and ascending to the transcendental plane? The
phenomenal mind, according to Buddhist philosophy, is not one permanent
identical reality, but a temporary continuity of momentary units. How can it
transcend time? How can it possibly exist by being free from its essential transient
nature? If that which sustains its continuity is destroyed, it must as a matter of
course cease to exist, and there would be no entity to attain Nirvana and enjoy
its peace and tranquility. Philosophy of Gorakhnath by Akshay Kumar Bannerjea.
Coombe Springs Press, 1983. p.230.

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FULLNESS AND STILLNESS

are attentive, curious and calm. It is a perfect posture of the mind.

Arthur Osborne said it perfectly in his poem, Be still, it is the wind
that sings.
Though a particular time and place can help us to be still there
is no monopoly. Although Arunachala and Bhagavan are associated
with Tiruvannamalai, it would be a mistake to think that you can
find it nowhere else. By the mysteries of the universe it so happens
it is easier there geographically but not absolutely essential, for what
Arunachala is and who Bhagavan is, are not dependent on a certain
place and time. To do so would limit them. If we hold onto the thread
of their image or follow Bhagavans instruction to find out who we
are by asking Who am I? we will be automatically pulled back inside
into the hridayam, the heart. They are portals, they invite you and
then, by that inscrutable power we call grace, they create the space
for us to see. What we need to do in stillness is to be absorbed in that
silence. To receive not to take. To be used not to use.
We are like the scientists who in the depths of an abandoned mine
create sophisticated laboratories free from as much interference as
possible to catch, with the most sensitive instruments, particles of
dark energy that pass through the earth. They can detect them in a
complete vacuum shorn of all noise, visual and aural. In the same
way we patiently wait in the clean silence of the Heart.
Bhagavan wrote: ... Since that Reality abides without thought,
in the Heart (Hridayam), how and by whom can it, called the Heart,
be thought of? Know that the only way to meditate on that absolute
Reality is to abide thought-free and continuously in the Heart.4
With all our efforts in developing right ethics, right food, right
livelihood, right companions, right thoughts, right emotions it so
happens it is easier to catch that thread, the sense of I which leads us
back to the hridayam, the point where we feel no sense of difference,
purna. All we do is a means to that end.

Ulladu Narpadu, Benedictory Verse One.

2012

Photograph of a water crystal from a bowl of water that was blessed

The Miracle of
Water
Christopher Quilkey
The following article is inspired and based on a book by the Japanese
scientist Dr. Masaru Emoto. The book is The Hidden Message of Water,
ISBN 1-41652219-0. The book was originally published by Beyond
Words Publishing, Inc, Oregon, 2004. The first UK edition was published
by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, in 2005.

hink of water. Water not only gives life, it is life. Water makes
up about seventy per cent of the beautiful planet we live on.
Water also makes up about seventy per cent of the human body.
Perhaps this is a coincidence, or perhaps not. Perhaps we are more
closely related to the earth we live on than we are aware.
The Earth is a beautiful planet. We can see that from the photographs
taken from outer space. It appears like a blue gem gracefully hovering
in the colourless, silent dark. We can make out that the oceans are
huge. In statistical terms about seventy percent of the planets surface is
filled with the seven oceans while their average depth is three thousand
Christopher Quilkey is a member of the Editorial Board of the magazine.
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MOUNTAIN PATH

feet or about one thousand metres. These oceanic waters take up some
ninety-eight percent of the water on the planet, which is undrinkable.
Therefore only about two percent of Earths water is fresh but of that
1.6 percent is frozen in ice caps and glaciers. Another 0.36 percent is
found underground in aquifers and wells. What we depend on is about
0.036 percent of the planets total water supply which is found in lakes
and rivers. Though it is a small amount comparatively speaking, it is
still in mathematical terms, thousands of trillions of litres, which are
available for us to drink and use.
The blue of the planet gives the impression of peace. It is not for
nothing that the largest ocean of all, the Pacific Ocean, means ocean
of peace. And yet, there are visible and invisible fires on the Earth
that devastate its harmony. What is the cause of this chaos? How does
it originate? Though we all are members of the one species it seems
because we live in separate places and have different colour skins, our
diverse ways of thinking and acting create conflict. Is there a single
solution that applies to all the inhabitants of this Earth which can
resolve the clashes? A single solution that can apply to all people on
the globe that everyone is convinced of, but which is so simple that
we all can understand?
If we return to the human body we find that the average human
body is seventy per cent water. We are born with ninety per cent
water and by the time we become adults we average seventy per cent
water. By the time we die normally in ripe old age we would generally
average some fifty per cent. It is clear that we live and breathe in a
body mostly composed of water.
That being so, what does the composition of our bodies have to
do with living happy and healthy lives? The answer according to the
Japanese scientist and researcher Dr. Masaru Emoto lies in the purity
of the water that makes up 70 per cent of our body.
We can observe that rivers which flow consistently contain pure
water. When the water is blocked, it stagnates. Therefore, if water is
to be healthy it must continually circulate. In human bodies we have
rivers and streams of blood which flow. In healthy bodies the blood
travels unimpeded while in the sick it languishes. If the blood does
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THE MIRACLE OF WATER

stop flowing, the body begins to decay, and if the blood to the brain
ceases death intervenes.
The question then is why does blood become sluggish? Dr Emoto
suggests that the condition is a result of the pollution of the emotions.
The mind has direct impact on the metabolism of the body. When
we live a rich and enjoyable life, we feel physically alert but when
we experience unremitting setback and sorrow, our bodies under the
stress fall ill. It is when our emotions flow smoothly throughout our
body, that we feel joy and good health.
Life from this point of view seems to be a question of flow and
change in concord.
From what we have seen so far we can better understand the
human body by a clear knowledge of the properties of water. We can
see now that water is a life force and serves as a vehicle to carry energy
throughout our body.
Let us consider the application of homoeopathic principles. The
pioneers of this branch of medicine taught treat like with like, fight
poison with poison. Say that someone is suffering from poisoning.
According to homoeopathy, the symptoms can be alleviated by
drinking the minutest amount of that substance. At this level, the
poisoned matter no longer remains in the water, but the characteristics
of it do and this is the basis for treatment.
Homoeopathy proposes that the greater the dilution, the greater
the effectiveness. The logical conclusion is that the denser the
poison in the body, the higher should be the dilution ratio. That is,
instead of the effect of matter being used to get rid of the symptoms,
the information copied to the water is being used to cancel out the
information of the symptoms from the poison. So water has the ability
to copy and memorize information.1
It was a revelation to Dr Emoto that water had the ability to copy
information and it radically altered his life and paved the way for his
research into the structure of water crystals.
1

Emoto, Masaru, The Hidden Message of Water. Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2005.
ISBN 1-41652219-0. p.xviii.

2012

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MOUNTAIN PATH

He then began to consider how it may be possible to locate verifiable

physical evidence about how water can memorise information. Aside
from analytical deduction based on experiments would it be possible
to see this process with the physical eye?
He casually opened a book one day and the words No two snow
crystals are exactly alike sprang to his attention. Next moment he
thought that if he froze water and looked at the crystals, each one
would be totally unique. It was at this moment his research began in
earnest to freeze water and if possible, take pictures.
He never doubted that they would. I knew with certainty that
my hypothesis was correct and that the experiments would go well
I just knew it. I usually suffer from a critical shortage of perseverance,
but this time I refused to give up.2
Finally after two months of frustrating trial and error experiments
with methods he later realised were inadequate he succeeded in getting
one photograph with the help of an assistant. What Dr Emoto learnt
from this initial work was that if we really feel in our heart that it is
possible we can make it happen with our will. What we imagine can
become a reality.
The crystal photographs he began to take were extremely moving.
He discovered in them a deep insight in to the nature of the world
and of human beings.
Crystals emerge for only twenty or thirty seconds as the temperature
rises and the ice starts to melt. The truths of the cosmos take shape and
become visible, if only for a few moments. This short window of time
gives us a glimpse into the world that is magical indeed.3
The scientists put fifty different types of water in fifty different Petri
dishes. They were then frozen at -20C for three hours. This caused
drops of ice about one millimetre across on the surface in the dishes.
By shining a light on the crown of the drop of ice a crystal appears.
He found that there are never fifty similar crystals, and that crystals
did not always form.
2
3

Ibid., p.xxi.
Ibid., p.xxii.

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THE MIRACLE OF WATER

Crucially he discovered that when they graphed the construction

of the crystals, they realised that water from separate sources formed
different crystals. Some crystals were clearly alike, some were
malformed, and in some water, no crystals were formed at all.
In their research they experimented with tap water from diverse
locations. The results from the water supplied to Tokyo were awful
as they could not form one complete crystal in the laboratory. They
surmised that in tap water, because it includes a dose of chlorine, the
natural structure of water was destroyed. This was confirmed when
they took natural water, from whatever source, be it natural springs,
subterranean rivers, pure glaciers, and the springs of unpolluted rivers,
all of which resulted in complete crystals being formed.
After this initial research his research assistant suggested another
line of approach using music to observe how water is affected. After
extensive effort and time they concluded that perhaps the simplest
method may be the best by placing a bottle of water between two loudspeakers and exposing the water to a volume level most comfortable
for a human being. They also decided to use the same water used in
their previous experiments. They began with distilled water and used
Western music.
The results were remarkable. Beethovens Pastoral Symphony with
its glorious depictions of nature resulted in attractive, clearly-formed
crystals. Mozarts 40th Symphony, which is a hymn to beauty, caused
crystals that were delicate and graceful.
According to the classical music employed the water formed
shapely crystals with their own characteristics. However the water
which was subjected to violent heavy-metal music caused disjointed
and abnormal crystals.
The next step was the use of positive or negative words or phrases
on pieces of paper, which were wrapped round the bottles of water
with the words facing it.
It didnt seem logical for water to read the writing, understand
the meaning, and change its form accordingly. But I know from the
experiment with music that strange things could happen. We felt as if
we were explorers setting out on a journey through an unmapped jungle.
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MOUNTAIN PATH

The results of the experiments didnt disappoint us. Water exposed

to Thank you formed beautiful hexagonal crystals, but water exposed
to the word Fool produced crystals similar to the water exposed to
heavy-metal music, malformed and fragmented.
Further experimenting showed that water exposed to positive
expressions like Lets do it! created attractive, well-formed crystals,
but that water exposed to negative expressions like a peremptory Do
it! barely formed any crystals at all.4
Dr. Emoto now understood the power of words. The vibration
created by the use of good words had a positive effect but the
indiscriminate use of the negative vibration of words could destroy.
I particularly remember one photograph. It was the most beautiful
and delicate crystal that I had so far seenformed by being exposed
to the words love and gratitude. It was as if the water had rejoiced
and celebrated by creating a flower in bloom. It was so beautiful that
I can say that it actually changed my life from that moment on.
In Japan, it is said that words of the soul reside in a spirit called
kotodama or the spirit of words, and the act of speaking words has the
power to change the world. We all know that words have an enormous
influence on the way we think and feel, and that things generally go
more smoothly when positive words are used. However, up to now we
have never been able to physically see the effect of positive words.5
From the experiment Dr. Emoto saw that words are an expression
of the soul. What we think we become just as what we eat we become.
He saw that our soul has a tremendous influence on the water that
makes up the seventy percent or more of our body, and this impact
has deep ramifications on the way we think, feel and behave. We
have all noticed that those who expressed a positive and seemingly
inexhaustible vitality are in excellent health and are pleasurable to be
around because of their good spirits.
The power of Love and gratitude are said to be what all the
legitimate and venerable world religions are based on. There would be
4
5

Ibid., p.xxiv-xxv.
Ibid., p.xxvi.

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THE MIRACLE OF WATER

no need for strict heavy laws if that was the case. This simple sentiment
is not only the elixir for all in the world to thrive upon with joy and
vivacity, it is the antidote for the negative vibrations that pollute our
hearts and minds. These words Love and gratitude could serve as
our guide in this complex and often hazardous world.
The way in which water functions shows us how we should conduct
our lives for water is present in every individual cell of our body. We
cannot exist without it. By understanding the principles of water we
delve into the secrets of the cosmos.
Water is the mirror of the soul. It has many faces, formed by
aligning itself with the consciousness of human beings. What gives
water its ability to reflect what is in peoples souls? In order to answer
that question, I would first like to make sure that you understand this
fact: existence is vibration.
The entire universe is in a state of vibration, and each thing
generates its own frequency, which is unique. My years of research
into water have taught me that this is the fundamental principle of
the universe.6
Dr. Emoto then asks us to imagine our bodies being reduced to
microscopic size so we can explore and discover the secrets of the universe
we identify as me. As we have understood from physics we quickly
discover that everything consists of atoms and each atom has a nucleus
with rotating electrons amongst other particles. Physics has identified
the number and shape of these electrons with their orbits. These atoms
combine in an infinite variety and give each unique substance a specific
set of frequencies which vibrate. Science has also taught us that in each
substance there is nothing solid. Instead there is only a whirling mass or
nucleus encompassed by a continuously rotating wave of energy.
All that we see and experience is eternally moving and vibrating
at an indescribable velocity. It is vibrating on and off as a speed we
can barely glimpse with the most sophisticated scientific instruments.
We also as human beings are vibrating, and each of us vibrates at a
unique frequency. Some people have a natural gift of empathy, while
6

Ibid., p.39.

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MOUNTAIN PATH

for the rest of us by purifying our minds and bodies through say, yoga
and meditation, we develop the skill to feel the vibrations of others.
From his research Dr Emoto concluded that a person who
experiences a tragedy will emit a specific signal and someone who is
joyful, will discharge a corresponding frequency of elation. We know
from our own experience that we desire to be near a person who loves
others because their presence or aura is filled with the frequency known
as love, while a person whose behaviour is pernicious however subtle
and well camouflaged will throw out a dark and evil frequency.7
Further to this observation that every object whether animate or
otherwise is in a state of vibration, it therefore means that everything
in existence is creating a sound. The fact we cannot hear many sounds
does not mean they do not exist as we know from observing the way
a dog reacts to the sounds we cannot hear.
We can deduce that water truly mirrors all the myriad vibrations
created in the cosmos, and that it has the capacity to turn these
vibrations into a crystal form that can be seen with the human
eye. That is, water can express an intention or message in a specific
structure.
Now we can now understand that through experiment and
observation, a complete geometric crystal is formed, the medium of
water is in alignment with the nature of existence and its expression.
On the reverse side, Dr Emoto made a significant observation that
the crystals do not form in water that has been polluted by the results
7

Ibid., p.46-7 .In an article in the March-April 1989 issue of the American journal
21st Century Science and Technology, Warren J. Hamerman wrote that the organic
matter that forms human beings generates a frequency that can be represented by
sound at approximately forty-two octaves above middle C. The modern standard
for middle C is approximately 262Hz, so this means that the sound reaches roughly
570Hz. Since Hz means vibrations per second, this indicates that human beings
vibrate 570 trillion times a second, a number that exceeds the imagination and
indicates incredible and wonderful human potential.
It is difficult to conceive forty-two octaves, but just realise that the frequency
of the human being is immensely diverse and unparalleled. The human being
holds a universe within, filled with overlapping frequencies, and the result is a
symphony of cosmic proportions.

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THE MIRACLE OF WATER

of our failure to respect the laws of nature. When we pollute the world
with our actions which are clothed in greed and hatred, this negativity
throws out of alignment the natural rhythms of harmony and beauty.
However, If you fill your heart with love and gratitude, you will
find yourself surrounded by so much that you can love and that you
can feel grateful for, and you can even get closer to enjoying the life of
health and happiness that you seek. But what will happen if you emit
signals of hate, dissatisfaction and sadness? Then you will probably
find yourself in a situation that makes you hateful, dissatisfied and sad.
The life you live and the world you live in are up to you.8
8

op.cit., The Hidden Message of Water, p.52.

Who Am I
D. Samarender Reddy
Am I just
A modification of earth.
Am I just
A lump of flesh and blood.
Am I just
One impaled on the arrow of time.
Am I just
One caught in the vortex of relationships.
Am I just
One hostage to the exigency of circumstances.
Am I just
Onepoised on the horns of thoughts and emotions.
Am I just
One condemned to reap the fruits of unknown deeds.
Am I just
A random collocation of inert matter and consciousness.
Am I just
Onedestined to not know answers to any of these questions.
2012

17

John Maynard

The Paramount
Importance of Self
Attention
Part Three

as recorded by

Sadhu Om
Michael James

23rd December 1977

Sadhu Om: Once a PWD inspector asked Bhagavan, How can we
live a pure life in this world? and he replied, You know the nattan-kal
[a standing stone fixed at a road junction] we have in our villages [in
the Madurai district]. See how many uses it has: villagers place their
head-loads on it when they take rest, cows use it as a scratching-post,
betel-chewers wipe their surplus chunnambu [lime-paste] on it, and
others spit on it. We must live in this world like those nattan-kals.
Michael James assisted Sri Sadhu Om in translating Bhagavans Tamil
writings and Guru Vacaka Kovai. Many of his writings and translations
have been published, and some of them are also available on his website,
happinessofbeing.com.
2012

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MOUNTAIN PATH

It is only in our view that Bhagavan appears to be compassionate.

He actually has no compassion, because compassion entails the
existence of others, and in his view there are no others. However, it
is also true to say that he has perfect compassion, because he loves
us all as himself, so he truly suffers with each of our sufferings. See
the paradoxical nature of self-knowledge. It reconciles irreconcilable
opposites. It makes having no compassion the same as having perfect
compassion. Who can understand the state of self-knowledge?
Love is our being, desire is our rising. Love wants oneness, desire
wants manyness. The movement of love is towards oneness, and of
desire is towards manyness. Love is ever self-contented, desire is ever
discontented. The fulfilment and perfect state of love is self-love
(svatma-bhakti), which is the experience of absolute oneness, but
desire can never be fulfilled.
Therefore all yogas or sadhanas aim towards oneness (which is
sometimes called union with God or the reality), and one-pointedness
of mind is their vehicle. Sadhana is a growth from desire to love, and
self-love is the driving force behind this growth. The development of
this growth towards love leads the aspirant to love just one God or
one guru, which is the highest form of dualistic love, and the most
effective aid to develop perfect self-love.
The guru shows the aspirant that the only means to achieve perfect
self-love is self-attention. The aspirant therefore eagerly practises
self-attention, but until his practice blossoms into true self-love, he
continues clinging to his guru as the object of his love. His gurubhakti is the stay and support that steadies and strengthens his growth
towards self-love. This is the state that Bhagavan describes in verse
72 of Aksaramanamalai:
Arunachala, protect [me] as a support to cling to so that I may
not droop down like a tender creeper without support.
The aspirants love for and faith in his guru constantly drives him
back to self-attention, which is the path taught by the guru, and as a
result he comes to be increasingly convinced that his own self is the
true form of his guru. Thus his dualistic guru-bhakti dissolves naturally
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THE PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE OF SELF ATTENTION

and smoothly into non-dualistic svatma-bhakti (love for self alone),

which is his true nature. One-pointed fidelity to the guru and his
teachings is therefore an essential ingredient in sadhana, and it alone
will yield the much longed for fruit of self-knowledge.
In Sri Arunachala Stuti Panchakam Bhagavan teaches us the true
nature of guru-bhakti. For example:
Arunachala, when I took refuge in you as [my only] God, you
completely annihilated me. (Aksaramanamalai verse 48)
... Is there any deficiency [or grievance] for me? . . . Do whatever
you wish, my beloved, only give me ever-increasing love for
your two feet. (Navamanimalai verse 7)
What to say? Your will is my will, [and] that [alone] is
happiness for me, lord of my life. (Patikam verse 2)
It is necessary to attempt to practise self-attention before one
can possibly write commentaries on or translate Bhagavans works.
Only by repeatedly trying and failing can one begin to understand
his teachings.
Take for instance the first sentence of Ulladu Narpadu: Except what
is, does consciousness that is exist? To a mind that is unaccustomed to
the practice of self-attention this will seem a very abstract idea, because
the first word ulladu (what is or existence) will immediately suggest
the existence of things, so such a mind will understand this sentence
to mean, Unless things exist, can they be known? But Bhagavan is
always pointing to self, so by the word ulladu he means nothing other
than I, which is the sole reality, that which alone actually exists.
However this will be immediately understood only by those who
are well-soaked in the practice of self-attention. Such a person will
understand this sentence to mean, Other than what is (namely I), can
there be any consciousness of being (any awareness am)? which they
will understand as implying, My self-awareness (cit) is not other than
my being (sat). It is so simple, but to ordinary people it seems abstract.
All scriptures and gurus aim at drawing our attention to ourselves,
but as I said in the first part of The Path of Sri Ramana, up till now they
have all started by conceding to our ignorant outlook of taking the ego
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to be real, and so they start their teaching from that perspective. But
why not start from the source from what is actually real? Bhagavan
was a revolutionary, so he never conceded that our viewpoint was
correct, but instead always pointed directly to the one self-evident
reality, I am.
Nowadays people have so many strange ideas about yoga, but in
Ulladu Narpadu Bhagavan has given us a clear idea of what real yoga
actually is.
It is to Muruganar that we owe the composition of Ulladu
Narpadu. If it were not for him those twenty-one verses would have
been ignored [a reference to the twenty-one stray verses composed
by Bhagavan that Muruganar gathered together and asked him on
21st July 1928 to enlarge upon to form a work revealing the nature of
reality and the means by which we can experience it, which prompted
him to compose during the next three weeks Ulladu Narpadu, in
which eventually only three of the original twenty-one verses were
included (namely verses 16, 37 and 40), leaving the other eighteen
to be relegated to the supplement (anubandham)]. Bhagavan was
so confident of the power of his silence that he took no initiative to
write or record his teachings, so it is to Muruganar that we owe the
composition and compilation of the three principal sastras[scriptural
texts] containing Bhagavans philosophy, namely Upadesa Undiyar,
Ulladu Narpadu and Guruvachaka Kovai.
24th December 1977
Sadhu Om (when asked why Bhagavan when he rewrote Nan Yar? (Who
am I?) as an essay omitted the first sentence of his reply to question
19 in the earlier thirty question-and-answer version: God and guru
will only show the way to attain moksha [liberation], but cannot1 by
1

In the more recent twenty-eight question-and-answer version, which was compiled

and first published in 1932, about five years after Bhagavan had written his essay
version, the editor (whose identity is not now known) changed the final verb in
this sentence (the first sentence of the reply to question 20 in that version) from
serkka mudiyaadu, which means cannot join [or establish], to serkkaar, which
means will not join [or establish].

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THE PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE OF SELF ATTENTION

themselves [or of their own accord] establish individuals in moksha):

What he said there is true, because unless we want moksha, God or
guru will never give it to us. Wanting or desiring is love or priya,
which is one of the three aspects of the reality, sat-cit-ananda (beingconsciousness-happiness), which is also known as asti-bhati-priya
(being-shining-love), so it is the nature of self, and hence a prerequisite
for moksha. Perhaps he omitted this sentence so that people would
not misunderstand it and be discouraged, because the grace of God
or guru works in us by sowing the seed of desire for moksha and then
cultivating it into its fully blossomed state of svatma-bhakti (love for
self ), which is itself the state of moksha.
26th December 1977
Sadhu Om: Thought, word and deed should always be in harmony,
each consistent with the other two, because then only can grace flow
in our heart. Grace will only flow freely when it has a clear and open
passage. If thought, word, and deed contradict each other, each one
following its own course, the flow of grace will be obstructed.
I dont know how people can live like that [referring to the
behaviour of a confidence trickster], because their mind could never
be at rest. For such people grace can never flow until they reform
their deceitful attitude and behaviour.
28th December 1977
Sadhu Om: Wanting is priya (love, affection or joy), the ananda
aspect of ourself. Unless we want moksha, guru can never give it to
us. Now we want manyness, so using our original freedom to will
and act [which is a reflection of the infinite freedom of brahman, our
real nature] we see manyness. Guru teaches us to want and love only
oneness. He wins us over by love, and we love him so much that we
believe that what he teaches us is correct, so in accordance with his
teachings we want to remain as we really are. He says, Just be, so we
try to remain as self, and our love eventually drowns us (the ego) in self.
Who wants manyness? The Vedas say, You are that. It must always
come back to this I, so what is it? Gurus work is only to make us
interested in investigating and knowing this I to make us want
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MOUNTAIN PATH

to remain as self. People think that other factors such as meditation,

tapas and so on are involved, but all that is actually required is to
want just to be.
And who is guru? Truly God and guru are nowhere. You alone
exist. When you wake up from this dream, you will find there is no
God or guru, nor any ego striving for mukti.
Ramakrishna once said that Gods anugraha (grace) is ready, and
gurus anugraha is ready, but that one more persons anugraha is
required. That is, your own anugraha is what is now essential.
Once we have come to guru, there is no need to worry. Everything
else follows in its own time. Once, during the Golden Jubilee
celebrations in 1948, I was so confident of his grace that I composed
ten enthusiastic verses saying, Who can die? Can death ever touch
me again? Let Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva all turn their backs on me!
Brahma has now truly lost one of his creatures, and so on. Bhagavan
merely read it and put it aside. A few months later, however, I was
again in a praying mood. I was depressed and felt helpless without
his grace. I came before him in that mood, and found him reading
my Jubilee verses. I felt ashamed of my mood. He didnt have to say
anything. That was his way of teaching me that there is no need for
dejection.
People want a living guru. I suppose they expect him to show them
the way to a living God. Guru wants us to see ourself as brahman,
but we want to see brahman as a human form. Bhagavan always said
that self alone is guru, and that his body is unnecessary. He proved
this by giving the flash of true knowledge only after he had left his
body. Muruganar said that Bhagavan always said that his body was
a veil over the reality, and so the light only became clear when his
body passed away.
People say to me, Its alright for you to say a living guru is
unnecessary, but you had a living guru. To them I say that what I
learnt from my living guru is that a living guru is unnecessary, and
everyone else can learn the same if they study Bhagavans works and
do a little manana (reflection) on their import.
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THE PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE OF SELF ATTENTION

Unless you understand that self is guru, even a living guru cannot
help you. Most people who were with Bhagavan didnt get moksha
because they didnt want it. Bhagavan teaches us that sooner or later
we must be satisfied with self, so why not be satisfied with it now?
People think that the guru must be a person, but guru is only the
first person, the real I within us. Not satisfied with this first person,
they go seeking a second person to be their guru. Our aim, however,
should only be to get rid of even the first person (our ego) to drown
our false personhood in self.
When our guru says that he cannot give us moksha unless we want
it, we should think, What, am I really such an important factor? and
thus our attention should be drawn back to ourself. In fact, guru gives
us moksha by making us want it, and therefore he always stresses the
need for us to wish for it and to make effort for it.
Indeed, guru is all in all, so he is essential and he alone can give
us moksha. He is however our own self, sat-cit-ananda, so he gives
us moksha, which is our natural state of being (sat), by means of
knowledge (cit) and love (ananda). He makes us know and love him
as our own self.
29th December 1977
Sadhu Om (in reply to my question whether he was doing any sadhana
in the years before he came to Bhagavan): I was longing for grace and
always thinking of God. That is sadhana enough!
Some people say that the light seen at the time of Bhagavans
passing was him returning to Skandaloka [the world of Skanda, the
younger son of Lord Siva]. First they try to limit him as a body, and
then they try to limit him as a light. Their minds are so bound up
in limitations that they have to limit even the illimitable. Bhagavan
always said: Do not think this body is me. I am shining in each one
of you as I. Attend only to that.
How often and for how many lives have we fooled ourselves
thinking that our social service is selfless? We did it only for our
own self-satisfaction or glory. It is natural for each one of us to love
ourself. We are all naturally selfish, so we should first find out what
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is self. When we know ourself as we really are, we will experience

everything as not other than ourself, and thus our selfishness will
then be the highest virtue. Only a jnani knows how to be truly selfish,
because without knowing self we cannot know what real (unlimited)
selfishness is.
In the path of surrender saints sing, Send me to heaven or hell,
but never let me forget you, as if heaven and hell really exist. Their
prayer only shows their total love for God alone. They teach us
the right attitude, but they know that heaven and hell have no real
existence. All these dualities heaven and hell, good and bad, God
and individual exist only in the mind. So ultimately we must learn
to make this mind subside.
When I first came to Bhagavan and heard him repeating constantly
that everyone must eventually come to the path of self-enquiry,
I wondered whether he was being partial to his own teaching, but
I soon understood why he insisted that this is so. The final goal is only
oneness, and to experience oneness our mind must subside, which will
happen entirely only when we attend to nothing other than ourself.
So long as we attend to anything other than ourself, our mind
cannot subside, because attention to other things sustains it, since
that which experiences otherness is only this mind. When the mind
subsides completely, only self-attention remains, and self-attention
alone is the state of absolute oneness. Bhagavan used to repeat this
teaching every day, maybe ten or twenty times, but still we didnt
change. He didnt change his teaching either, because to him this
truth was so clear.
The basic mistake we all make is to take a body to be I. This deeply
entrenched feeling I am this body called so-and-so is the root of all
our trouble. If this tape-recorder is not working, we must attend to it
and not to other things, because then only will we be able to repair it.
Likewise, to rectify this mistaken identity, I am so-and-so, we must
attend to it in order to know what it really is: what or who am I?
Only when we thus investigate ourself will the false adjunct
so-and-so drop off, and what will then remain is only the reality,
I am. I am so-and-so is the naivedyam [the food to be offered to
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THE PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE OF SELF ATTENTION

God], and when Bhagavan has consumed the adjunct so-and-so, what
remains is only I am, which is his prasadam [the purified remnant of
Gods food, which is shared among devotees as a token of his grace].
I am alone really exists, so it is the true form of God and guru.
To treat and cherish this filthy body as I is therefore the worst kind
of idol-worship. If we give up this idol-worship by knowing the truth
of ourself, then we can worship anything as God, because we will
know that nothing is other than him, our real self.

(To be continued)

The Names of Lalitha

Ramesh Menon
Kadambavanavasini; where redolence
of immortal blooms
is wafted on a lustrous breeze,
which blows before time began.

Tadillata samaruchih, like streak lightning

among the chakras,
dazzling all the sadhana
along the sacred journey.

Komalakaraa,
delicate one, perfect one,
who can describe you?
Or the flame of your satin form,
when he bares you to the moon.
The poems are loosely based on the Japanese tanka form of 5 lines. A tanka is a haiku
with two extra 7-syllabled lines.The lines have 5/7/5/7/7 syllables, in that order.
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The Power Of
Silence
Berjis Desai

s I step out of the car, the peacock unfurls its feathers and
dances on the porch of the temple. It shudders occasionally in
its attempts to desperately impress the silent female. A good omen,
I think, as I enter Sri Ramana Ashram for the first time. I feel instantly
refreshed by the peacock welcome, after our three hour journey from
Chennai airport. The driver, who has driven rather slowly on the clear
and straight National Highway, is instantly electrified as soon as he
swirls the car onto the road to Tiruvannamalai. Strange hillocks, as
if man-made, line the road, Suddenly, our travel companion, who
is a longtime devotee of Sri Ramana Maharshi, exclaims thats it
Arunachala! At first sight, the holy mountain does not impress and
looks rather small. Just like the congested little township in which
Berjis Desai, a former journalist, is presently managing partner of a national
law firm in Mumbai
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the Ashram is situated. Little does one know what grandeur is held
by the deceptive modesty of these humble surroundings.
As a child, I have a dim memory of my aunts speaking reverentially
of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. Many years later, as a junior
lawyer, I await a Senior Counsel in his office and my attention is
transfixed by a picture of the saint. I have never seen kinder eyes.
The ocean of compassion which flows from those lovely eyes brings
tears of joy. I get up and read the name on the picture Sri Ramana
Maharshi. It was, of course, the most famous picture of the saint,
known as the Welling Bust. An instant connection is made. After
more than three decades, I am at his Ashram, at last.
I am a firm believer in the dictum that you can visit a holy shrine
only when you are beckoned. During those intervening three decades,
through the peaks and troughs of life, I have hungrily devoured many
books on spirituality and the occult and visited many shrines. The
journey has been long and interesting. Shirdi Saibaba, our familys
Paramguru and his disciple, Shri Kamubaba, our Guru, resulted in
annual pilgrimages to Shirdi, Vaishno Devi on foot; the resplendence
of Lord Balaji amidst cries of Govinda, Govinda; Sri Aurobindo and
the Mother at Pondicherry; the indestructible spirit of Somanath,
unbroken by a million Mahmud Ghaznavis; Dakshineshwara of
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and the serene Golden Temple at
Amritsar. Who will not savour the joy of these places when the Lord
permits you to visit him there? The command to visit Sri Ramana
Ashram took rather long to materialise and perhaps that is why the
experience was so moving. I was about to learn the Power of Silence.
I set the alarm for three in the morning, empty a few buckets of cold
water to beat the sweltering early June heat and head for the Silence
Room, the Old Hall. Apart from a mildly curious dog and a few
lizards, not a soul stirs. A gentle breeze wafts through the air. I place
my chappals alongside another pair, very slowly open the door which
is thoughtfully designed to make absolutely no noise, and step into
the room, where a solitary devotee sits cross-legged in a corner. This
is the room where Bhagavan gave darshan to all however mighty
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THE POWER OF SILENCE

or low, creatures large or small, human or animal at all times of the

day or night. This is the place where unconditional love poured out
for decades and much grace was bestowed on those fortunate enough
to receive it. I sit across from the large couch, on which the saint used
to recline, and which now holds his portrait. A ceiling fan meekly
whirls. Within minutes, and without any effort, the thoughts start
receding, one by one. Mind, the chattering monkey, is momentarily
stilled. No worries, no fears, no wants, no wishes. There are no likes
and dislikes, no bias and prejudice, no superiors and inferiors. The
mind just floats softly in a pond of peace empty and vacant. Inner
prolonged silence banishes thoughts and permits something else to
take over ones consciousness and this greatly helps in realising who
you really are. Sri Ramanas central question for enquiry who am
I enters the consciousness. I am not this body. I am not this mind.
I am not this personality and this name. I am the same material as
the gently whirring ceiling fan and that mildly curious dog outside
and those lizards stuck on the window sill. A miniscule, infinitesimal,
nameless drop in the vast ocean of Cosmic Consciousness. I require
no conviction to believe this, it just comes from somewhere within.
Is it the collective consciousness, the seed atom which stores memory,
across millions of incarnations in different bodies and indifferent
minds, in different places and in different times? Or is it simply my
thought process? I do not know.
As it so often happens, the answer comes within minutes. In the
room next to the large Samadhi Hall, hangs a large, white plaque,
narrating the near-death experience of Bhagavan when he was just
16. I have read it before in Arthur Osbornes unputdownable book
on Sri Ramana, but I read it again. In his own words, Sri Ramana
says that this realisation about who am I came to me without
any thought process the precise words I had mulled over in the
Silent Room. Can one say with confidence that my innermost belief
has come without any thought process? I do not think so. The path,
as we well know, is long and hard and fraught with many a pitfall.
It is five oclock now; the security guard devotedly does parikrama
around Bhagavans Samadhi and then unlocks the door to the temple
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which was constructed under Bhagavans direct supervision. The

black stones of this temple are not foreboding but soothing. I do the
parikrama and joy fills my heart. I sit on a bench just outside the
temple and softly say Om!. It resonates throughout my being. Last
night, my travelling companions husband had suggested that I do
this. I bless him as I sit for a while in the temple, as dawn breaks. In
unison, the peacocks give out plaintive cries. I associate these cries
with the catharsis which comes after the death of a loved one. This
may sound strange but let me tell you how.
Being a Parsi Zoroastrian, we offer our dead bodies to be disposed
of by the rays of the Sun, the vultures (which no longer exist) and
other birds of prey, in a final act of charity, as dust is mingled unto
dust. At the sprawling green acres of the Parsi Towers of Silence, when
dawn breaks and you perform the final after death prayers for the
soul, the peacocks give out the same plaintive cries. Mingled with
joy and pathos, they emphasize the transience of our body which we
so dearly love, in the illusion that the body is us. Bhagavans central
enquiry who am I shatters this illusion and liberates instantly.
Even if we realise this, through the process of thought, we have made
some progress. A tiny step towards Self-realisation.
The breakfast gong sounds at seven sharp. Hundreds quietly
troop into the dining hall, without any distinction of caste or creed
or rank, the ruler and the tramp all equal, as they eat hot idlis and
sambhar served on plantain leaves, washed down with buttermilk or
rather milky sweet coffee in sparkling stainless steel glasses. Complete
equality is the outstanding feature of this Ashram. There are no VIPs
and no special darshans and no exclusive dining halls. The sweeper of
the Ashram has lunch with you, sitting side by side, just as Bhagavan
himself did, strongly refusing any special treatment that might be
meted out to him. Someone served him extra coffee one day and
he refused to drink any, from then on. Little acts which help in the
annihilation of the ego.
This is in stark contrast to other places. Some have an impressive
driveway, sprawling acres, a reception where they give you
computerised keys, a spanking spa with an extensive massage menu,
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D. Thiyagarajan

Photograph

MOUNTAIN PATH

air-conditioned rooms with a tea maker thrown in, grand prayer

halls which can hold thousands (Bhagavan, I am told, was not too
appreciative of his large prayer hall, where, I did not feel the same
sublime vibes which pervade the Silent Room and the Shiva temple),
shops selling artefacts and trinkets and clothes and jewellery. Smart
and sleek and sophisticated.
Sri Ramana Ashram is just quietly functional, without any fanfare.
Just as in the time of Bhagavan, there are no lectures or courses or
packaged breathing exercises. The process of self enquiry is to be
conducted on your own. There is no instruction software available.
There is a tiny Pathasala which trains young boys in the Vedas which
they recite every evening in the Prayer Hall. Even their chanting
was playful, spontaneous and unrehearsed. Better than a hundred
trained priests chanting in unison, in an amazing display of firepower.
Pyrotechnics impress only while they last. In the evening, the adults
chant the hymn of 108 verses composed by the Maharshi in praise of
Arunachala, for the bhiksha seekers. At dusk, when the peacocks fall
silent, you can mindlessly enjoy this lilting recitation, even though
you may not understand all its meaning.
The next morning, I haul my unfit body, over the holy Arunachala
hill, to visit the two caves Virupaksha and Skandasramam where
Sri Ramana dwelled from 1899 to 1922. If in the Silent Room,
thoughts reduce by 90%, in Skandasramam, they disappear almost
totally. The Mahasadhana of Bhagavan having visibly sanctified the
interiors of these caves, for eternity. The simple looking hill now
suddenly looks transformed as the manifestation of Shiva, the legend
coming alive. When Bhagavan attained transition on 14th April,
1950, many beheld a blue meteor blazing over the holy mountain of
his enlightenment and glowing red lights were seen in its uninhabited
portions, emanating from the Siddhas who are said to reside there in
their subtle bodies. Bhagavan did say that they visited him at night,
in human form or say, the animal form of a dog, leopard or iguana,
for some divine confabulations, beyond our mortal understanding.
Serenity pervades this entire journey. Not a trace of commercialisation
is visible. We descend just in time for the sumptuous lunch at 11:30
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THE POWER OF SILENCE

spartan but substantial, dollops of hot rice, tasty dal, boiled vegetable
and channa. Foreign devotees sit comfortably cross-legged, eat with
their fingers, fold the empty plantain leaf and look wonderfully at ease.
Post-lunch, we visit the cottage housing the archives, the only airconditioned structure in the Ashram, containing priceless manuscripts
and photos of the saint. A tall Englishman, with peace written all over
his kind face, in charge of the photographs for the last eight years,
lovingly displays the albums. A few rooms are climate-controlled
to prevent humidity. The approach of this Ashram is soft, nonobtrusive, matter of fact and self-effacing. One detects neither any
sign of superiority nor any lofty claim to spirituality. Simplicity is a
recurring theme.
This Ashram grew spontaneously around Sri Ramana and that
is precisely the reason why it is thriving 62 years after the saints
demise. No controversy has ever touched it. Ashrams, which
make a cult figure out of its founder and are consciously built and
organised like a business enterprise, fall apart within months of its
founders death. Bhagavan never preached and seldom propagated or
expounded any complex philosophy. His love and grace for all beings
was unconditional. In the last century, India has had the fortune of
having six outstanding saints Shirdi Saibaba, Swami Vivekananda,
Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramana Maharshi, Paramhamsa Yogananda and
Ma Anandamayi all of whom continue to capture national and
international imagination, several decades after leaving their mortal
bodies. Pretenders, of course, are many, who hold centrestage for a
brief while and are soon confined by the Cosmic to the dustbin of
history.
Near the Skandasramam, one enjoys the panoramic view of the
town of Tiruvannamalai below and the conspicuous quadrangle of
one of Indias largest, oldest and most powerful Shiva temples
Arunachaleswara. Early next morning, we are at the temple complex.
We are told that on purnima, full moon, millions throng the complex.
Today, however, is amavasya, the dark of the moon, and quiet. In the
sanctum sanctorum is a mahalingam based on the fire principle. It
exudes such heat and radiates such power that you instantly feel your
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spiritual battery recharged. We prostrate before the temple of Parvati,

the Lords consort, the Eternal Mother. A rotund priest removes
large garlands from the deity and places it on my neck. Suddenly,
someone exclaims that is the temple of Kal Bhairava. I stop with
amazement. In my daily morning prayers, I salute Kal Bhairava
and have asked everyone I know in Mumbai where I can find a Kal
Bhairava temple. I am satiated with His sudden darshan and make
my way to the Patalalingam where the young Ramana once sought
refuge to meditate, a safe haven from those harassing the youthful
saint and pelting stones at him. As Bernard Shaw, in his play, Saint
Joan, exclaims, O God, that madest this beautiful earth, when will it
be ready to accept thy Saints? How long, O Lord, how long?.
Arunachaleswara has stolen my heart. Begging the Lord for a reinvitation soon, I return to the Ashram. As dawn breaks, the breeze
is cooler and it drizzles. We have to get back to Mumbai and to the
world of thoughts and matter. The Power of Silence has cleansed and
I experience a strange lightness of being. I shall miss the Silence Room
the most, with its magic of stilling the most active mind. What better
prasadam than carrying tiny bits of that silence and His Grace with us.
As I am about to sit in the car, the peacock tiptoes to the same perch
on the temple as his welcome dance. Will he dance again, I wonder,
as light rain begins to fall. He shudders suggestively and seems to be
telling us come back soon to this abode of Silence and I promise
to dance again for you.

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KEYWORD

Ashrama
John Grimes

n December, 1922, Bhagavan Ramana went down the Arunachala

hill to where there was a single thatched shed with bamboo uprights
and a roof of palm leaves built for the Mothers samadhi. This was
the beginning of the Sri Ramana ashrama. Through the years the
hall where he sat, an office, a kitchen, a dining room, a bookstore,
a cowshed, a dispensary, a library, guest rooms sprang up. Wherever
a great Sage dwells, he endows that place with the character of his
profound inner state.
An ashrama manifests divine glory. It may appear to be an ordinary
place to our physical eyes, but its every leaf, flower, fruit, tree, and
creeper is pervaded by the Self. Therefore, one should live in the
ashrama with vigilance in thought, speech, and action.
The proper way to approach an ashrama, to understand its deeper
meaning, is to approach it with respect and reverence. Enter it with
John Grimes is a recognised academic authority on Advaita. He received his
Ph.D. on Indian Philosophy from the University of Madras.
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MOUNTAIN PATH

an attitude of expectancy. Come near it, dwell in its presence, not as

a physical place, but as revealed, radiating wisdom. Have sight of ,
have darshan of its purport. Seek a glimpse of the Consciousness
appearing there.
An ashrama is a gift from the Sadguru, the true teacher, to seekers
of sacred wisdom. An ashrama provides a place where one may learn,
as the Upanisad says, that which once is known, all this is known.
It provides a place where one learns how to discover what one should
know. It provides a place that encourages one to imbibe these teachings
and to put them into practice. It provides a pure environment that is
conducive to the practice of spiritual disciplines.
It matters not whether one is a seeker of divine wisdom, a casual
first-time visitor, or a long-time ashramite; in the final analysis the
arena is ultimately the same, i.e., ones Self. For, it is the individual,
him or herself, who must eventually make the inner journey. The gift
of an ashrama is that it not only informs the seeker why and how
to make this inner journey, but it also embodies it and provides a
support for it. The ashrama is a gift of the Sadguru, the true teacher.
The Rg Veda proclaims that seeking is a means to sacred wisdom,
to the goal of life. By seeking, immortality is gained; an individual
becomes peaceful in mind, the best physician for oneself. Seeking, in
this context, means Self-seeking.
There are some who say that the word ashrama means a place
in which to overcome weariness. The implication here is that an
ashrama is a sacred place permeated by a divine power that envelops
and enters all who enter therein and which helps an individual to
overcome the weariness of egoism. There are others who say that an
ashrama connotes, a place where one exerts oneself. That is, an
ashrama is a place where one ardently practises spiritual disciplines. In
either case, the implication is that an ashrama is an abode of peace, a
place that exists only to enable an earnest seeker of sacred wisdom to
experience the unending bliss of the inner Self. It is a place of purity
made manifest.
The Chandogya Upanisad informs us that the Sage Uddalaka said
to his son, Svetaketu, Now it is time for you to go to an ashrama
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KEYWORD

and live the life of a religious student. We learn that Svetaketu went
to an ashrama and with his superior intellect easily memorized all the
texts and subsequently returned home proud and pompous, declaring
that there was no one equal to him in learning. In order to prick his
pride, Uddalaka asked Svetaketu, Well, since you are now so greatly
conceited and think yourself so learned, did you seek from your
teacher that instruction by which the unhearable becomes heard, the
unperceivable becomes perceived, the unknowable becomes known?
This awakened humility and reverence in Svetaketu and rendered
him capable of receiving and digesting the sacred wisdom of the Self.
Only after approaching his father with fuel in hand, that is, with a
humble aspiration to learn, did he hear and experience the liberating
wisdom, You are the Self (tat tvam asi).
In the same Upanisad we hear of the young boy, Satyakama, who
desired to live the life of a student of sacred knowledge. He approached
the great sage, Gautama, and he said to the sage, I wish to become a
student of sacred knowledge. May I become your disciple? The great
sage, Gautama, looked at him and he said, Who are you? Where
do you come from? And the young boy looked at him and said,
Well, my mother is a servant-maid and she doesnt know who my
father is, but they call me Satyakama, the one with a true desire. The
sage Gautama looked at the boy and with an overflowing heart he
said, Because you approached with humility and devotion, because
you spoke the truth and have a true aspiration, you may enter the
ashrama.
As a seeker of sacred wisdom, having found your way to Sri
Ramanas ashrama, follow his instructions that are conducive to
discovering the indwelling Self. He embodied that place where fatigue
is destroyed.
May the faith with which you have started to scan these pages
grow from day to day. May you be drawn by the ever-widening vista
of wisdom. May we too, declare, My delusion is dissolved; I have
become aware of my indwelling Self.
Shortly before his mahasamadhi Sri Ramana said, They say that
I am going away, but where could I go? I am here. On the one
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hand, this was a purely metaphysical statement. For the Sage who
has realized his identity with the universal Self there is no coming or
going, no change or becoming, no here or there, only the changeless
Here and Now. And yet, his words had physical implications as
well. They applied to his ashram as well. During his lifetime, Sri
Ramana had often said that only the body travels; the Self remains
unmoving; that it was and is a great blessing to be able to go to Sri
Ramanasramam at the foot of the sacred Arunachala Mountain, and
that powerful spiritual help will be found there for those who come.
While Sri Ramana is universal and ever present in the hearts of those
devotees who dedicate their lives to him, there is, at the same time, no
denying that his power and guidance are concentrated at his ashram
at Tiruvannamalai.
There is an oft-quoted saying, The ashrama is the body of the
Guru. Arunachala hill is the body of Shiva, of the Self. When Sri
Ramana was asked what he saw when he looked at the hill, he replied,
My Self. Bhagavan Ramana, Arunachala, the Self, the ashrama, do
not think they are different. Sri Ramana wrote,
In the recesses of the lotus-shaped heart of all, from Vishnu
downwards, there shines as Absolute Consciousness the
Paramatman (Supreme Spirit) who is the same as Arunachala
or Ramana. When the mind melts with love of him and reaches
the inmost recess of the heart wherein he abides as the Beloved,
the subtle eye of Absolute Consciousness opens and he reveals
himself as pure Knowledge.1
In the innermost recess of the Heart, (of Ramana, of Arunachala,
of the ashrama), abides the Beloved. Seek there, reside there, and the
secret of the Self will be revealed.

Arunachala Ramana, The Collected Works of Sri Ramana Maharshi.

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Ulladu Narpadu
Based on Lakshmana Sarmas
Commentary
Verse Thirty Six
S. Ram Mohan

Bhagavan raises in the thirty-sixth verse the question does not the
jivan-mukta (liberated soul) practise nididhyasana (meditation) which
was first dealt with in the thirty-second verse. The same question
is answered in a slightly different way, stressing the fundamental
difference between the jivan-mukta and the sadhaka (practioner).
Verse 36: If we have the conviction that we are the bodies,
then meditating No, we are That, will be an excellent means
for ultimately reaching the state where we are That. (But) why
should one go on meditating I am that without end? Does a
man meditate I am a man?

S. Ram Mohan is on the editorial board of this magazine. He is also the

editor of the Tamil magazine Ramanodhayam, dedicated to Bhagavan.
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Commentary:
The belief I am the body is ignorance, and those that are in earnest
to get rid of it must either take to the pursuit of the quest Who am
I or if being weak-minded and are unable to do so, they may then
practise the meditation, I am not the body, I am that Brahman. This
meditation is practised by the mind. The mind will persist only so long
as the ego lives; if the ego dies, the mind also will cease to be. That
is, how can this meditation be done by one whose ego has ceased to
be? The need and the usefulness of this meditation is only for those
who are subject to the primary avidya (ignorance).
An apt simile for the absurdity of the jivan-mukta practising
this meditation is shown by the question: Does any man meditate
I am a man? The conviction I am a man is already present as
a result of worldly experience, and does not need to be aided by
meditating on it. In the same way the jnani has the awareness,
I am the Self, which is Pure Sat-Chit, by direct experience in the
Supreme State. Just as no person engages in the meditation I am
a man so also the jivan-mukta does not engage in the meditation
I am Brahman.
Even though Advaitic teachers recommend the meditation on
Soham (I am He) as an aid to realise the Self; this is only helpful
as long as one is still under the notion that of being the psychophysical entity of body-mind-intellect. Once he or she attains the
realisation that he or she is nothing other than the Self which is
the all pervading Reality, it is irrelevant to suggest to him that he
is Soham or to engage in the meditation that I am the Atman.
Bhagavan says it is as ridiculous to constantly suggest that I am
a man, I am a man.
In the initial stages the sadhaka has the idea that he or she is
the body-mind complex and automatically becomes attached to
that. Bhagavan says that the adhimana (the original thought or
identification) has to be removed, either by studying philosophical
texts or by listening to discourses. The sadhaka now understands,
at least in theory, that he is not the body-mind-intellect complex
but the Self. But this idea remains at the intellectual level, therefore
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ULLADU NARPADU

the practioner feels he needs a constant reminder that he is Self.

This is achieved either by anusandhana (profound contemplation)
or nididhyasana (continuous meditation).
The term anusandhana, refers to the fact that practice of continuously
asking ourself the question whenever you are engaged in any activity,
Who is the person working the body not I? Who is experiencing the
sorrow and joy? It is the mind not I. This constant reminder makes
one objective about the emotions and thoughts that are related with
the body, and helps us to disassociate from their limiting characteristics. We can dynamically remember that the Self is the substratum
of all the things. This disassociation of the Self from the apparent
personality will help get rid of the vasanas or the memory traces.
The term nididhyasana refers to the practice of choosing a particular
time of the day which is set apart for internalising the idea that you
are the Self and not the body-mind complex. All the thoughts are
to be kept at bay and only the idea that I am the Self will flow
uninterruptedly. The sadhaka should mature in the process which
Bhagavan compares to the process of flowing of the ghee from one
vessel to other without interruption.
The practices of anusandhana and nididhyasana do help in
achieving mental strength and tranquility. Bhagavan asserts that these
practices are excellent aids for realising the Ultimate where we are
That. But he also says that an advanced mumuksu (a mature seeker)
should not get caught in the web of mechanically performing soham
bhavana (the feeling I am He) and as a result, not progress to live
fully the Reality. He also said that mere repetition of mediation on
I Am That often leads to laya (sleep). When we intensely practice
atma vichara, there is a purificatory process which cleanses the mind
and ultimately leads to anubhava (realisation). Here the sadhaka is
not trying to remember or deceive himself as to what is his true I
is by auto-suggestion. Rather, the sadhaka is drawn back into that
Consciousness which is the source. Ultimately the sadhaka reaches
the state that when it becomes sahaja (permanent). He knows that
Self alone is real and Self alone is manifested as the entire Cosmos
and there is nothing but the Self. Hereafter suggestions such as I am
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That, I am This loses their relevance. There is no need for a reminder

as the identification with the Self is complete and absolute.
Before realisation, we should realise it is the ego which was chanting
Soham but when the ego has been erased, who is there to say Soham?
This repetition will be as meaningless as a person going on declaring
that I am a man, I am a man as if he would ever mistake himself to
be anything other than a man.
In a famous Tamil Advaitic text Ozhivil Odukkam, verse four,
Kannudaiya Vallalar explains this with the help of an example: A
doctor advises a patient to take the prescribed medicine without
thinking of a monkey. Thinking constantly that he should not think of
a monkey makes the patient think of the monkey all the time so that
it became his constant dhyana. In the same way, though the sadhaka
is instructed to Be still as Siva and not identify with any objective
awareness, instead of annihilating the ego-sense by remaining purely
as That, the sadhaka mistakenly repeats I am He, I am He which is
but the play of ego.

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October - December

Chidambaram or
Tillai
Padma Seshadri and
Padma Malini Sundararaghavan
The authors have written a book, It Happened Along the Kaveri, which
crosses genres, combining travel, history, art, architectureand myth to
trace the path of the river and provide a composite picture of the culture
that evolved along the Kaveri basin. Both taught at Stella Maris College,
Chennai and are longtime Bhagavan devotees. Interested readers may
contact the authors at padmamalini@yahoo.com
The book has been published by Niyogi Books and priced at Rs.795.
ISBN: 978-81-89738-79-2. It is not a coffee table work but a serious
piece of research though written in a style readily accessible to the general
reader. The following is an abridged and edited version of the chapter
on Chidambaram.
In the night of Brahman, Nature is inert, and cannot dance
till Shiva wills it: He rises from His rapture, and dancing sends
through inert matter pulsing waves of awakening sound, and
lo! Matter also dances, appearing as a glory round about Him.
Dancing, He sustains its manifold phenomena. In the fullness
of time, still dancing, He destroys all forms and names by fire
and gives new rest. This is poetry, but none the less science.
The Dance of Siva by Ananda Coomaraswamy
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ord Nataraja of Chidambaram, the Adalvallan of Tillai has been

praised in ecstatic song by the four great Tamil saints Appar,
Tirujnanasambandar, Sundararmurti and Manikkavachakar. Other
Nayanmars in the rich Tamil devotional tradition have also added
their voice. The supremely graceful Lord Nataraja lives in the sanctum
of a thousand temples in India and is equally visible in museums and
art galleries all over the world. His divine dancing form permeates
and transcends the circle of this world. While our saints see different
aspects of Siva in the form of Dakshinamurti who is said to reside on
sacred Arunachala or say, Tyagaraja at Tiruvarur, it is Lord Nataraja
who has captured the minds of scholars and lovers of beauty. A
modern physicist Fritjof Capra describes an evening experience on
the seashore thus: As I sat on that beach my former experience came
to life; I saw cascades of energy coming down from outer space, in
which particles were created and destroyed in rhythmic pulses; I saw
the atoms of the elements and those of my body participating in this
cosmic dance of energy; I felt its rhythm and heard its sound and at
that moment I knew that this was the Dance of Shiva, the Lord of
the dancers.1
How many can claim to know this Dancer? Or for that matter,
His Dance? And who indeed can tell the dancer from the dance?
In the noble temple of Chidambaram, adjacent the statue of Lord
Nataraja, is a screened-off niche called the Rahasyam or secret. After
the ritual worship of Lord Nataraja by the priests who conduct the
prescribed offerings to the Lord, one may move to the side of the
shrine in the Kanaka Sabhai, the golden hall, and see what lies behind
the curtain which the presiding priest raises. When the screen is lifted
we see only a garland of golden bilva leaves embedded in the dark
stone wall. Of the five elements Siva in this Temple represents akasha
ambaram or ether which has no tangible form. This is the mystery of
the Rahasya. The akasha cannot be contained by a form; it can only
be hinted at. Chidambaram is also the place where Siva dwells in the
chit or consciousness. So he dwells within as pure consciousness and
2

Capra, Fritjof, The Tao of Physics, Shambhala, Boston, 2000. p.11.

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John Maynard

MOUNTAIN PATH

yet also charges all of space with His presence. This is an awesome
thought.
In the same Kanaka Sabhai area is the Vishnu shrine in
Chidambaram. He reclines as Govindaraja on the snake Ananta
(without end), also named AdiSesha (existing from primordial time).
Vishnu means all pervading as well as in-dwelling. In the same inner
shrine precincts, cut off from the rest of the large temple complex, we
have the all-pervading formless Siva as akasha and chit, alongside the
celestial Lord Nataraja who dances in ecstasy. Then there is Vishnu
who is ubiquitous over time and space and is also the eternal witness
or sakshi within. It is worth recalling that at Kurukshetra when Krishna
transforms himself into the Vishva roopa or all-pervading form, Arjuna
is unable to accept the power of the darshan and pleads with Krishna
to Show me your ordinary self . However we view these powerful
sacred myths they are all pointing to the exceptionality of the Kanaka
Sabhai. They are saying this is no ordinary place, pay attention.
Hinduism has always believed in offering to people options, taking
into consideration differences in the qualities of mind and heart. God
can be with or without form. Form too can be in myriad shapes. The
basic assumption is that having chosen our ishta devata (family or
individual deity to which we especially give homage) we allow others
to choose theirs. It is in the same spirit we need to act in the unique
presence of the two deities in Chidambaram. Sadly, over the centuries
this has not been the case. Vishnu and Siva devotees have not always
lived by this value.
The Chidambaram Nataraja is the most artistically crafted.
During the Mahabhishekam, the abhishekam liquids flow down from
the Lords crown over the nose and down to the gaja hasta (left hand
swung to the right) where it gently flows to the tip of this hand and
then further down to the uplifted left leg. It can be said to be an
unrivalled marvel in iconography. It is a perfect sculptural creation
whose shape is instantly recognised and appreciated by lovers of
beauty.
Volumes have been written about the icon of Lord Nataraja and
its underlying symbolic meaning. To give a very brief description,
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CHIDAMBARAM OR TILLAI

the figure of Siva rests on a double lotus pedestal, which, in

kundalini yoga represents the heart chakra. That also explains why the
temple is chit ambalam (chit as sabha or hall).2 In Sivas matted locks
are a serpent, a skull, Ganga, a crescent moon and a wreath of leaves
and flowers. He has a makara kundala (mans earring) in the right ear
and a patra kundala (womans earring) in the left ear. He wears the
sacred thread and anklets. One end of the udara bandhana (waistband) loosely flutters because of the whirling movement of the dance.
There is an arch round the entire figure, which also has the lotus
pedestal for base. The outer fringe of the arch has tongues of flame.
The Lord is four-armed. Two of them touch the arch, the upper right
hand holds a drum and the upper left hand holds a sachet of fire.
All sound is said to have emanated from the drum. So language as
well as music had their origin in this drum. The sense of rhythm and
the concept of tala in music also came from Lord Nataraja. The fire
in his upper left hand indicates the fire of knowledge which burns up
ignorance. His front left hand is lowered towards his upraised left foot
which indicates the ever-present uplifting redemption through grace.
Below Sivas feet lies the apasmara purusha, on whose back Siva has
his right foot firmly planted. While the literal meaning of apasmara
is forgetfulness, the demon is said to be ignorance, maya or the ego,
who is forgetful of the Self. The snake in the hands of the demon is
said to have fallen from the wrist of Siva in the whirl of the dance.
From a structural point of view the entire weight of the figure falls
on the foot that tramples the demon.
Siva as Nataraja is to be seen as symbolising life as well as death,
creation as well as destruction, as He represents panchakriya (five
actions) in Chidambaram. He is in charge of srishti or creation, sthiti
or preservation, samhara or destruction, tirobhava or concealment and
anugraha or bestowal of grace. He reveals specific aspects of Himself in
different temples throughout the land of Bharat but in Chidambaram
alone He manifests all five activities.
2

Ambara is sky in Sanskrit. It is chidambaram or consciousness-space. Ambaram

in Tamil is a hall where an assembly takes place.

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Before the Arrival of Nataraja

Though many temples like to indicate their temple was there at the
beginnings of time, the chronicles of Chidambaram indicate that Lord
Nataraja appeared at a later date than is usual in the traditional archives.
Lord Nataraja made His first appearance in the legend of the rishis
in the Darukavana forest. In a slightly different narrative this myth is
close to the heart of Sri Ramana devotees, because it led Bhagavan to
compose one of his three key compositions, Upadesa Undiyar.
The rishis followed the school of purva-mimamsa of the Vedas
which elevates the path of kamya-karmas (actions done with desire for
the fruits) to a position of pre-eminence. They denied that there was
any principle except karma, that is, except for any actions performed
by the individual, nothing else mattered. They believed in the assured
efficacy of rituals. The deluded rishis held that they were the architects
of their own destiny and rejected the existence of a Supreme Being.
Their wives too, were so conceited that they complacently believed
their virtue was clearly demonstrated by their ostensible chastity and
loyalty to their husbands.
As in all sacred stories of hubris, they were taught a humbling
lesson and this time it was in the shape of the simultaneous
manifestation of Siva as Bhikshata (the naked mendicant) and
Vishnu as Mohini (the enchantress). The two exercised a spellbinding
effect on the rishis and their patnis, which exposed their basic flawed
nature. Such a bitter truth was hard to bear and in a fury, the sages
created a fire out of which various fearsome creatures emerged. Siva
calmly made ornaments of them all the tiger, whose skin He wore;
the snake that He calmly wrapped round His neck; and finally the
demon, apasmara purusha, on whose back He rested one foot, as He
whirled and whirled in His tandava dance. The sages had no choice
but to admit defeat.
In the history of Hindu philosophy, this refutation of the
sages who subscribed to the Mimamsa philosophy by Siva and
Vishnu is perhaps seen as a symbolic representation of the defeat
of Mimamsa by Vedanta which teaches that rituals are not enough
and that there is a Supreme Being behind all manifestation.
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Photograph

Kanaka Sabhai of Chidambaram Temple

MOUNTAIN PATH

Tillai takes its origin from the Tillaivanam dance, a promised

repeat of the dance in the Daruka vanam. According to traditional
accounts, after hearing a report of this dance, two of Sivas ardent
devotees, Vyaghrapada and Patanjali, prayed to be allowed to witness
it. Siva promised that one day He would dance in the forest of Tillai
which was the centre of the universe. The story goes that Jaimini, the
author of the Purva Mimamsa Sutras became an ardent devotee of
Lord Nataraja and awaited the Dance of Siva along with Vyaghrapada,
Patanjali and Hiranyavarman, a king from the north, who came
hoping to be cured of a disease that tormented him.
Siva and Kali
When Siva came to Tillai the place belonged to Kali. The legends are
told now from the perspective of Sivas devotees. The goddess Kali,
who was proud and self-willed, after destroying a demon continued
on a blind rampage, displaying her unbridled powers (sakti). As
the story goes the gods decided she had to be checked before she did
more damage. It was then that Kali agreed to a dance competition
in which the victor would have right of place in Tillai and the loser
withdraw to the edge of the forest. Kali was able to execute every step
of the Lord of the Dance. Suddenly Siva lifted one foot right on level
with His head (Urdhva Tandavam). As modesty prevented Kali from
taking that posture, Siva won and delighted His devotees with the
promised Ananda Tandavam.
Kali withdrew to the outskirts of Tillai where a temple sprang up
round her. Her defeat was not a bitter one. She was conquered not
by prowess but by love. She is still there today and her limpid smile
is as sweet as the gaze of an innocent child.
After Lord Nataraja was established at Tillai, the temple was
renovated and enlarged, it is said, by Guru Namasivayar who came
from Arunachala with that express purpose. From a small shrine
under a tree in the forest it emerged as Koyil or Temple. Today Lord
Nataraja and Chidambaram are synonymous.

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CHIDAMBARAM OR TILLAI

The Priests of Lord Nataraja

TheTillai-moovayiravar or the three thousand of Tillai, is a group of
brahmins known as Dikshitars who have been with the temple from
the time of its inception. According to an account presented by them
to Dr. Rajendra Prasad on his visit in 1957, The pagoda arose when
the Lord Nataraja together with 3,000 Dikshitars appeared at this place
to bless His great devotees Vyaghrapada and Patanjali. The Dikshitars
claim themselves to be of divine origin and according to them Brahma
took them from Tillai to perform a Yagam near Varanasi where they
stayed till Hiranyavarman, at the suggestion of the Chidambaram deity,
invited them back to Chidambaram. When they had arrived they found
there were only 2,999 and a voice from above announced that the God
Himself, Sabha Nayakar (chief of the assembly), was the missing one.
These traditions seem to imply that from the inception of the temple
the Dikshitars have been regarded as part and parcel of the institution.
Where did the Dikshitars come from initially? Antarvedi say
legends, which could be the area between Ganga and Yamuna. It
could have been Kashi as it was an ancient centre of Siva worship. It
is said that when they were away from Tillai serving Brahma, they
missed Nataraja and so He manifested Himself from their yajna fire
as Ratna Sabhapati, an emerald image of the Lord which they brought
back with them to Tillai.
Vyaghrapada, Hiranyavarman, Patanjali and Govindaraja
The early history of the temple is shrouded in mystery. The historical
identity of Vyaghrapada and Patanjali cannot be established because
by the time they were first written about they had acquired mythical
features and status. Vyaghrapada, as the name implies, had the feet
of a tiger. He collected flowers for worship at dawn and might have
been described as having the keen eyes and swiftness of the tiger. Later
these became his physical attributes.
Hiranyavarman came to Tillai from Gouda Desa after giving
up his throne to his brother. It is said he suffered from leprosy
which was cured when he bathed in the Sivaganga tank. Vyaghrapada
crowned him and formally gave him the Chola emblem of the tiger.
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Hiranyavarman set up the first temple, re-inviting the Tillai three

thousand from the Gangetic Plains. Significantly, Chidambaram is the
only major ancient temple in South India that follows Vedic rituals.
The majority of temples follow different Agamic rituals.
Patanjali 3 is said to be the incarnation of AdiSesha, the serpent
on which Vishnu reclines. Hearing Vishnus account of the dance
at Darukavana, AdiSesha is said to have received permission from
Vishnu to pray for a vision of that dance. As Patanjali, he set up a
shrine for Siva in the Tillai forest and waited for Sivas dance. After
he had witnessed it, he is said to have remained with Lord Siva. As
the incarnation of AdiSesha, Patanjali is always depicted as being half
snake and half human. The deity he set up for worship is known as
Anantisvara, the Lord of Ananta.
Today, at the tank called Tiruparkadal in the large Chidambaram
temple complex, can be seen the figures of Govindaraja on Ananta
and of Patanjali with folded hands in front of Siva. But for many
centuries there was no Govindaraja as the Chola King Kulottunga
II decided that the natural place for Vishnu was the ocean and cast
him out of the Chidambaram temple.
In the complex sometimes violent history of the Kaveri basin,
the later Cholas supported the Saiva cause and the Hoysalas and
Nayaks supported Vaishnavas. The Vaishnava Acharya Ramanuja set
up a shrine for Govindaraja at Tirupati, taking an image from the
temple of Lakshminarayana in Karunguzhi. The king Krishnappa
Nayak re-established a shrine for Govindaraja in Tillai, in the face of
strong opposition. A few priests threatened to jump off the gopura if
Govindaraja was brought back. The Nayak king went ahead refusing
to heed their threats and a few did die in protest. Krishnappa was not
against the worship of Siva because he provided for 50,000 kalams
of paddy for Saiva mendicants. The issues were rituals, procession of
the deity, control of the hundred pillar mantapa and other matters
relating to temple administration.
This Patanjali is not to be confused with the author of the Yoga Sutras of the same
name.

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Photograph

Courtyard of Kanaka Sabhai

MOUNTAIN PATH

At one point to everybodys shame even the agent of the Nawab

of Arcot had to intervene. In the twentieth century Sir Annamalai
Chettiar repaired both shrines and arranged for worship of both
deities with architectural changes to allow for separate processions.
Two phrases used in the rituals of Nataraja seem to bear the linguistic
impression of the presence of Govindaraja: ani tirumanjanam and
tiruppavadai amudu. The Lords holy bath is tirumanjanam for
Vaishnavas; Saivas prefer the term abhishekam. Tiruppavadai amudu
refers to food offerings heaped up in front of the deity; in Vaishnava
parlance food items are all amudu or ambrosial gift from the gods to
be accepted with gratitude.
An Aside on Madurai and Chidambaram
The lore and significance of both the Meenakshi temple in Madurai
and the Nataraja temple in Chidambaram are part of Tamil culture.
When discussing the dynamics in a marriage and which partner is
more dominant, there is a Tamil phrase Maduraiya? Chidambarama?
That is, Is it Madurai or Chidambaram? The Madurai temple is
dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi and Siva is at best, MeenakshiSundaresvarar, her spouse, whereas in Chidambaram, Nataraja is
all-in-all.
The History of the Sixty-three Saints
It was during the reign of Kulottunga II that one of the greatest
classics in Tamil came to be written. This was Tiruttonda Purana
better known as the Periya Puranam. Arulmozhidevar Sekkizhar, a
high-ranking man in the Chola administration, was unhappy to see
the king reading Jivaka Chintamani a Jain literary classic. Sectarian
bias is clearly evident here as Sekkizhar spoke in no uncertain terms
about its uselessness both in this world and the next. He asked the
king instead to read about the lives of the Saiva saints. Kulottunga
accepted the advice and gave Sekkizhar a large sum of money and
sent him to Tillai to write an elaborate work on the lives of the Saiva
saints. Perhaps this was one of the earliest instances of a commissioned
work on the Tamil saints.

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CHIDAMBARAM OR TILLAI

Sekkizhar sought the Lords grace and was told to start his work
with the word Ulakelam. He then sat down in the thousand pillared
mantapa and wrote 4,253 stanzas. The king came to Tillai when he
heard the work had been completed. Faith gives people extra sensitive
ears. The assembled gathering heard the tinkling anklets of the divine
dancer and also a voice which said the king should hear the work
recited and explained by the author himself. Sekkizhars discourse
went on for a year and people of all castes were able to benefit from it.
Chidambaram Temple Down the Ages
Sri Sankaracharya, the exponent of Advaita philosophy is said to have
presented a Sphatika Linga (crystal lingam) to the temple. He also
possibly installed the Sri Chidambaram Chakram, a mystic diagram
with great symbolic meaning and power. The centre of the Yantra
is Mount Kailasa; the bindu, or most inner centre represented by a
dot, represents the first manifestation of creative principle when the
one becomes the many. The divine unity expands and becomes the
mystic three, the Trimurti or the innermost triangle standing on its
apex, that is downturned, which symbolises the three powers of Sakti,
jnana (knowledge), kriya (action) and iccha (will). This yantra and
its symbolism, however one chooses to interpret it, is also called the
Chidambara Rahasyam, perhaps because in early times the chakram
was kept near Nataraja at the place where today the screen conceals
the empty niche and the gold bilva leaves.
Individual contributions of kings and commanders are not
elaborated upon here. Aditya I started gilding the hall at Chidambaram
with pure gold which he had brought from his plunder of the Kongu
country. Since Parantaka I completed the work he is credited with
creating the Pon-Ambalam or Kanaka Sabhai or Golden Hall. His son
Gandaradityas contributions were of a different nature altogether: he
composed hymns on Nataraja of Tillai.
It was in the time of Rajaraja I that the lost hymns of the great
saints were discovered. Rajendracholas construction of the new
capital at Gangai-konda-cholapuram, close to Tillai, increased Tillais
importance for future kings of the Chola lands.
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Kulottunga I set up on the cross-beam of the entrance to

Moolasthanam a precious stone given as tribute by the king of
Kambhoja. Incidentally a couple of verses inscribed in the temple refer
to him as an incarnation of Vishnu. Kulottunga II was responsible
for both the infamous eviction of Govindaraja and the writing of the
Periya Puranam.
Right through the reign of the later Cholas, the Pandyas, the
Vijayanagar and the Nayaka rulers Chidambaram continued to grow
in stature. Kings rose and fell but there was no conqueror who did
not worship Nataraja. Things changed with the arrival on the scene
of the British and Haidar Ali. There was fierce fighting between
Haidar and Sir Eyre Coote, the British general. Both occupied the
temple at different times, as fortunes rose and fell. The walls of the
temple still wear the scars of the Anglo-French wars. For some time
the idols of Nataraja and Sivakamasundari were kept in safe custody
at the Tiruvarur temple and brought back in 1773 CE.
Nataraja seems to have suffered vicissitudes of fortune earlier too.
According to research done by Se Rasu, Nataraja and Sivakamasundari
were out of the temple between 1648 and 1686. B. Natarajan refers
to an episode that took place during this time, his source being
U.V.Swaminatha Iyer. Fearing for the safety of the deities, (ironic
though it might seem) two elderly dikshitars hid the deities in the
deep hollow of a tamarind tree. By the time the dikshitars decided the
images could be brought back, those who concealed them had died.
The two dikshitars who were sent to fetch the image were wandering
around helplessly when they overheard some men talking about taking
two bulls to the Ambalapuli (the sacred tamarind tree).
They too, went there, met the owner of the grove who decided to
reveal the secret of the tree. He said he had discovered the idols one
morning and as they could not lie there neglected, he announced to
everyone that he had been directed in a dream to offer worship at that
particular tree. Daily offerings of fruit, flowers and milk were made. The
Lord certainly knew how to take care of Himself, how to let Himself
be found and how to guide those who had come to take Him back.
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CHIDAMBARAM OR TILLAI

A Broad Outline of the Temple and its Administration

The temple has four main gopuras (towers) built by and added to by
different kings at different times. The kings mainly responsible were
Vikrama Chola, Kulottunga II, Krishna Deva Raya, and Ko-perunjinga. The east and west gopuras have the 108 karanas of Bharatas
Natya Shastra depicted with descriptive labels. All four gopuras are
in the third prakara (the outer walls of the complex). The four great
saints Manikkavachakar, Appar, Sundarar and Sambandar are said to
have entered by the east, west, north and south respectively through
whatever gateways existed then. A very recent addition to the third
prakara is an immense bell donated by a devotee from Germany.
There are five sabhas or halls. The Chit Sabha or Chitrambalam holds
the processional images of Nataraja and His consort Sivakamasundari,
the Sphatika Lingam and the Ratna Sabhapati (made of emerald). The
gods are said to have gilded this sabha first. Subsequently many kings
have added to their personal glory by gilding it over as and when the
need arose. This place also contains the Chidambara-Rahasyam with
with its gilded bilva leaves. The black curtain covering the leaves
symbolises ignorance and is lifted three times after every puja. The
Kanaka Sabhai adjoins it and the two are connected by five steps.
These steps represent the five holy syllables panchakshara, namely na
ma shi va ya. The abhisheka of Lord Nataraja and Sivakamasundari
usually takes place in the Kanaka Sabhai. The palliyarai or bed room
is in the north-west corner of this inner prakara. Siva, represented
by his padukas, is taken there in a palanquin every night and he stays
with Sivakamasundari. The morning rituals start with the padukas
being brought to the Chit Sabha.
The Nritta Sabhai or Hall of Dance is in the shape of a chariot
drawn by horses and is located in the second prakara opposite the
dhvajasthamba. This houses the image of Siva dancing the Urdhva
Tandava, the dance with which He defeated Kali. The Deva Sabhai,
holding more than a hundred bronze figures, is also the place where
the periodic meetings of the dikshitars take place.

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Twice a year the abhishekam of Nataraja and Sivakamasundari is held

in the majestic Raja Sabhai which displays exquisite friezes of dancing
figures and has two huge stone elephants at the entrance. This Thousand
Pillared Hall, where Sekkizhar read out his Periya Puranam, is called the
Raja Sabhai because the coronation of many kings has been held here.
The construction of the shrine of Sivakamasundari, also known
as Tiru-kama-kottam, was started during the reigns of Kulottunga
I and Vikrama Chola and completed during the reign of Kulottunga
II. On the outer side of the sanctum walls there are niches containing
the three shaktis.
The administration of the temple is entirely with the Dikshitars.
Every Dikshitar, on marriage, becomes a trustee of the temple
with full rights. This has encouraged early marriages. They did
not receive government support from the Hindu Religious and
Charitable Endowments Board as financial help meant surrender of
administrative freedom. Understandably the Tillai Three Thousand
who claim to have come with Siva about two millenniums ago are
not willing to do this. For them it would also be a betrayal of trust as
Siva is said to have announced that He is one of them. The Dikshitars
do not own income-yielding property either. They depend entirely
on offerings made at the temple and on donations.3
The Arudra Darsanam and AniTirumanjanam are the most
important festivals, when Chidambaram veritably becomes Bhooloka
Kailasam or Kailasam on earth. There is an annual dance festival. For
performers it is a privilege to dance in the presence of the Lord of Dance.
Every dancer dreams of an opportunity to make an offering of dance
to the Lord. It is a mystical experience for many who have done so.
Close to Chidambaram on the eastern side lies Tiruvetkalam. This
place is identified as the spot where, after giving Arjuna the PashupataAstra, Siva disappeared from view. Tirujnananasambandar lived there
and walked to Chidambaram every day for darshan, because he felt
it was indelicate to live in the immediate vicinity of that holy place.
The river Kollidam which is also called Vada-Punya-Kaveri or the
northern branch of the holy Kaveri joins the sea near Mahendrapalli.

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Kumaradeva
T.V. Venkatasubramanian
and David Godman

umaradeva, a Karnataka king who renounced his throne to attain

liberation, was part of a distinguished lineage of Gurus who lived
and taught in South India in the 16th and 17th centuries. According to
his hagiography,1 Kumaradeva had spent his penultimate incarnation
in Mallikarjuna, nowadays known as Sri Sailam, in Andhra Pradesh.
In that life he was performing nishkama tapas rigorous and selfless
meditation and directing it towards Lord Siva. He had a companion,
another sadhu who was performing tapas alongside him.
Siva became aware of this anonymous sadhus strenuous efforts and
decided to manifest before him to offer assistance.
1

All the biographical information on Kumaradeva in this article has been taken
from Kumaradevar Sastra Kovai, by P. Arumugam Mudaliar, published by Golden
Electric Press, 1923.

T.V. Venkatasubramanian lives at the foot of Arunachala and is a regular

contributor with translations and articles on Tamil poets and mystics.
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Devotee, what boon do you want? he enquired.

The sadhu had been harbouring a request in his mind, but when he
opened his mouth to speak, something completely different came out.
The details of the unplanned request are not known, but they
were bad enough to cause great anger in Siva, who cursed him with
the following words: May you become a jatamuni [a kind of demon
with long matted hair]!
This was a not a curse for some future life; the transformation
was immediate.
Shocked by this sudden turn of events, the devotee prostrated at
Sivas feet and pleaded with him.
I made a mistake by not asking for what I really desired. Supreme
Being! What can I do now? When can I be released from this curse?
Siva gave him the following prescription: Go to Vriddhachalam
[a town near Chidambaram] and live there on the branches of the
mature bodhi tree that is growing on the bank on the Manimutta
River. The devotee who has been performing tapas next to you will,
in his next life, be born as a king in the Karnataka region. After ruling
there for a brief period, he will develop a distaste for worldly life that
will lead him to Peraiyur Santalinga Swami. He will attain liberation
through the grace of this swami. His Guru will then instruct him to
go to Vriddhachalam where he will stay under the same bodhi tree
in which you will be living as a jatamuni. If you prostrate to him and
beg him to release you, you will be freed from your curse.
When will he attain liberation? asked the jatamuni.
Siva replied, He has already taken five consecutive pure
incarnations. In each one he performed intense nishkama tapas and
directed it towards me. This is his sixth pure birth. In his next life he
will attain liberation.
Saying, This is my good fortune, the jatamuni took leave of Siva,
went to Vriddhachalam, took up residence in the tree specified by Siva,
and waited for the time when he would be released from his curse.
The destinies ordained by Siva then began to unfold. The devotee
who had been doing tapas with the jatamuni took a new birth as
Kumaradeva in the Karnataka region. He ruled there as a king for a
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Neil Greentree

Bhagavans Samadhi in the 1950s

MOUNTAIN PATH

short period of time before taking sannyasa. After his renunciation,

he asked his former chief minister to send a message to Peraiyur
Santalinga Swami that gave details of his history, his renunciation,
and his desire to see him. Then, without waiting for an answer, he
went there in person and fell at the Gurus feet.
Santalinga Swami wanted to test the maturity of Kumaradeva.
He looked at his kaiettu tambiran, a scribe-disciple who always
stood near the Guru in order to write down important teachings, and
said, Appa [a term of endearment], this person looks like a king. He is
not fit for this path. Ask him to go home and rule his kingdom again.
The scribe was a mature man who could see or intuit that eighteen
distinct marks that are said to appear only in those true devotees
who have intense and extreme maturity were all manifesting in this
former king. Since he did not want to disobey his Guru or reveal this
information to Kumaradeva, he contrived to pass on the information
to Santalinga Swami in sign language.
Santalinga Swami was aware of all this himself. Softening his stance
a little, he turned to the tambiran and said, Tell him to go outside
and cut grass for my bullocks.
Kumaradeva was given a sickle, along with a rope to tie the cut
grass with, and was dispatched to the nearby fields where he joined a
group of pallars (members of an agricultural caste) who were already
engaged in cutting grass.
Kumaradeva held a bunch of grass in his left hand and attempted
to cut it near the ground with his sickle. However, being completely
inexperienced, he only succeeded in inflicting a severe wound on the
hand that was holding the grass. Instead of getting upset about the gaping
wound, he got angry with his right hand for being so incompetent.
The pallars, who had been observing the strange and unskilled
behaviour of the new grass cutter, approached him and asked him
who he was.
Oh, I am just a worker who has been asked to cut grass to feed
the bullocks that pull Santalinga Swamis cart.
The pallars were not convinced. His incompetence at one of the most
basic agricultural tasks, combined with his aristocratic bearing, led them
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KUMARADEVA

to believe that he might be a king. Realising that he was incapable of

accomplishing the simple task that had been assigned to him, they took
pity on him, cut the grass that was required, and tied it with the rope that
Kumaradava had been given. They then lifted it up and placed it on his
head so he could walk off with it. Unaccustomed to bearing heavy loads,
Kumaradevas head buckled under the weight. Realising that Kumaradeva
did not have the necessary neck muscles to carry the grass to its destination,
the pallars carried it to the math and placed it outside the door.
On the two succeeding days Kumaradeva was again sent out to
cut grass for Santalinga Swamis bullocks, and each time the pallars
cut the grass for him and delivered it to the math. On the third day
the worker who was carrying Kumaradevas load for him met the
tambiran who had conveyed Santalinga Swamis original orders. He
told him about the strange new worker who couldnt either cut or
carry grass and who had slashed his hand on his first attempt. The
tambiran reported these developments to Santalinga Swami.
Santalinga Swami decided that he would test Kumaradeva a little
more. He came outside and got angry with him, just to see how he
would react. Kumaradeva became a little frightened when Santalinga
Swami verbally attacked him, but other than retreating a little and
standing some distance away, he displayed no reaction to the assault.
That night Santalinga Swami called his tambiran and said, Pack
two separate cooked-rice parcels for myself and Kumaradeva. Hang
them on opposite ends of a pole and give the pole to Kumaradeva.
Then ask him to accompany me with it.
They set off together, with Santalinga Swami walking in front of
Kumaradeva.
After travelling for some time Santalinga Swami turned round and
rebuked him, shouting, Why are you delaying?
Kumaradeva replied fearfully, On one side the acchu lingam [axis
lingam] is tugging me, and on the other side the gana yuddham are
pulling.2
2

In this highly cryptic pronouncement the acchu lingam represents the Self while
the gana yuddham (the hordes of warring warriors) represent the outward moving
senses who are always trying to take attention away from the Self.

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This enigmatic but profound reply sent Santalinga Swami into

a state of ecstasy. He sat down on the bank of a nearby tank with
Kumaradeva and asked him to mix the rice from the two packages.
Kumaradeva obeyed the command and then served Santalinga Swami,
treating the rice as naivedya (sanctified food offered to a deity).
When Santalinga Swami had indicated that he had received enough,
Kumaradeva took some himself, treating his portion as prasad.
The two of them spoke together before Santalinga Swami decided
it was time to return to the math.
This meeting was a turning point in their outward relationship.
Kumaradeva began to perform sadhana under the supervision of
Santalinga Swami and soon realised the Self through his Gurus grace.
Since Siva had ordained that the enlightened Kumaradeva would
one day travel to Vriddhachalam to release the jatamuni from his
curse, Santalinga Swami turned to him one day, addressed him as
Maharaja, and ordered him to visit that town.
Kumaradeva took leave of his Guru and began to travel there
on foot. As he was walking through a forest near Chinnasalem,
Pazhamalainathar (Lord Siva residing at Vriddhachalam) appeared
in the form of a brahmin. Knowing that Kumaradeva was walking
towards his town, he set up a wayside stall that served free drinking
water to travellers.
As Kumaradeva approached, the brahmin addressed him saying,
You seem to be exhausted. Drinking water is available here. Drink
as much as you want and quench your thirst.
Kumaradeva accepted the brahmins offer before continuing with
his journey to Vriddhachalam.
The long walk exhausted him. When he finally arrived at his
destination, he decided to rest under the shade of the large bodhi tree
that was growing by the side of the River Manimutta. Within minutes
of sitting down he fell into a deep and blissful sleep.
Periyanayaki (the goddess presiding at Vriddhachalam) came
to know of his arrival. She took some milk that had been kept
for her abhishekam and came in the form of a brahmin woman to
where Kumaradeva was sleeping. She sat down next to him, placed
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KUMARADEVA

Kumaradevas head on her lap, and fed him with the milk she had
brought.
Kumaradeva woke up, saw the woman, and asked who she was.
She replied, Kumaradeva, I am Periyanayaki. Come and stay
forever in my place and live happily here.
Then she mysteriously vanished into thin air.
This incident left Kumaradeva wondering, Mother, what can I
possibly give you in return for this grace?
Within minutes he was lost in ecstasy.
The jatamuni, who had been staying on the branches of the bodhi
tree, observed all this and thought that the person he had been waiting
for had finally arrived. He climbed down the tree, took the form of
a brahmin, and fell at the feet of Kumaradeva with great humility.
Who are you? enquired Kumaradeva.
I am a jatamuni.
Why have you come to see me? enquired Kumaradeva.
The jatamuni then narrated the story of how the two of them had
once been sadhus together, and how Siva had cursed him to remain as
a jatamuni in the bodhi tree until Kumaradeva came there to release
him.
When the story had been concluded, Kumaradeva carried out
Sivas wishes and released the jatamuni from the curse.
Kumaradeva remained in Vriddhachalam since his Guru had asked
him to be there. Some accounts say that he used the shade of this
bodhi tree as his base.
One day Periyanayaki appeared to him again and requested
him to compose some jnana sastras (scriptures on true knowledge).
Kumaradeva doubted that he had the capacity.
He replied, Though I am your slave, I am not able to do this.
Periyanayaki told him, I myself will abide in your tongue and
complete the sastras.
Kumaradeva accepted the order and went on to compose sixteen
jnana sastras. In one portion of the sixth sastra which is entitled
Jnana Ammanai and is addressed to the deities of Vriddhachalam who
enabled him to compose the work he gave details of his life and his
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spiritual development. The lines all conclude with the exclamation

ammanai! This is a celebratory shout that indicates joy and delight
in all the incidents and opinions that are mentioned in the poem.
The original ammanai poem was composed by Manikkavachagar in
Tiruvannamalai over a thousand years ago. The ammanai exclamation
in that particular poem is thought to be derived from a triumphant
shout of joy made by young girls as they scored points in a game that
involved keeping a number of balls in the air.
Here, then, is an extract from Kumaradevas own ammanai poem,
his exultant retelling of his path to liberation:

Worshipping the feet of Azhattu Pillaiyar ammanai!
I rooted out doubt and erroneous understanding ammanai!
Reaching the feet of Vriddhambhikai3 ammanai!
opening the eye of true jnana ammanai!
and meditating and dwelling on the conclusion ammanai!
I will now declare what I have experienced,

as I experienced it ammanai!
Father, mother, wife, relations ammanai!
these are attachments of the soul ammanai!
Wealth, ornaments, land, empire ammanai!
these are attachments to objects ammanai!
These two are external attachments ammanai!
Remaining with these ammanai!
thinking there is no lack in ammanai!
noble lineage, wealth, handsome looks, attire ammanai!
I lived for some time, wallowing in them ammanai!
without paying attention to the excellent path ammanai!
not performing Siva bhakti, tapas, and offering gifts ammanai!
It was through providence that my mind became clear ammanai!
Impermanent, impure and misery-causing ammanai!
maya of this nature is most certainly unreal ammanai!
3

Azhattu Pillaiyar is the name of Ganapati at Vriddhachalam, while Vriddhambhikai

is Sivas consort there.

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KUMARADEVA

Eternal, immaculate and having enduring bliss ammanai!

this state of liberation is ones own [state] and real ammanai!
After realising this, disregarding completely ammanai!
the happiness of a householders life ammanai!
I renounced it in my youth as false and moved towards ammanai!
the golden feet of jnana Guru Santalinga ammanai!
I came, I praised him, and I prostrated ammanai!
He placed his golden feet on my head and then ammanai!
made clear to me the path of liberation ammanai!
He said, Exert yourself on tapas at Vriddhachalam ammanai!
Obeying his command I stayed there ammanai!
remaining there motionless, night and day ammanai!
I merged in tapas ammanai!
Vriddhambhikai came and taught me ammanai!
As she was explaining I realised ammanai!
clearly the experience that is free

from doubt and wrong understanding ammanai!...4
Seeing everything as I ammanai!
I remained without any anxiety ammanai!
Only my being manifests and exists ammanai!
only my consciousness appears ammanai!
only my bliss is experienced as happiness ammanai!
all is only sat-chit-ananda ammanai!
I saw and attained myself through myself ammanai!
I remained, experiencing happiness alone ammanai!
I became convinced that the happiness

experienced in objects ammanai!
is only my own bliss ammanai!
From now on I will not think of or desire any object ammanai!
There is no bliss in it ammanai!
I obtained freedom from desire and fear ammanai!
as I became the eternal blissful one ammanai!
4

Jnana Ammanai, sixth sastra, lines 1-34.

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Whatever happens to come to me in the present ammanai!

I will experience it in a state of desirelessness

and abide in the [natural] state ammanai!
When I think, I see myself as this ammanai!
as the various non-existent objects ammanai!
In my thought-free state I am only myself as One ammanai!
Seeing only myself here and there ammanai!
I remain without any anxiety ammanai!5

There is nothing other than me. I swear to this ammanai!
I will hold the red-hot iron in my hand [swearing]

that this is the truth ammanai!
Not knowing myself for such a long time ammanai!
was like languishing in fear, without knowing my way ammanai!
What recompense can there be in me ammanai!
for the compassion of Sankari6, who has no equal ammanai!
for bestowing her cool grace? ammanai!
From now on it will be proper for me

to render elegant service ammanai!
wholeheartedly to her devotees ammanai!
May this holy kshetra of Vriddhachalam shine forth ammanai!7
Though Kumaradevas written works are studied in Vedanta
maths, he himself was brought up in the Virasaiva tradition. This is a
subdivision of the Saiva faith which originated in Karnataka about 800
years ago. It still has many adherents there. The traditional accounts
of Kumaradevas life stress his Virasaiva background and beliefs and
generally include the following entertaining incident:
Once Kumaradeva went to Tiruvarur to witness its annual festival.
As Sri Tyagaraja, the presiding deity of Tiruvarur, was travelling in
his chariot, moving through the main streets that surrounded the
Jnana Ammanai, sixth sastra, lines 67-88.
The consort of Siva.
7
Jnana Ammanai, sixth sastra, lines 91-100.
5
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temple, Kumaradeva stood in front of the moving vehicle and had

darshan of the deity.
Two Saivas who witnessed this spoke to each other in a sneering
way: Look at this deluded Virasaiva!8
When he overheard this comment, Kumaradeva addressed
Thyagaraja: Lord, if the Virasaiva faith is a delusion, then let this
chariot continue. If it is the way of grace, then let this chariot come
to a halt.
The chariot ground to a halt.
After issuing this challenge and achieving the desired result,
Kumaradeva went and sat under the shade of a nearby tree.
The king of Thanjavur, who was also a trustee of the temple,
learned that the chariot had unexpectedly stopped. Since he had
taken a vow that he would not eat until the chariot had returned
to its starting point, he became extremely concerned and initiated
several different attempts to get the chariot to continue. The chariot,
though, refused to budge from its spot.
Feeling both anxious and exhausted by his failure, he prayed,
Lord, what can be done now? Through whose agency has this event
occurred? My vow is not possible to fulfil.
The king then learned about the incident between Kumaradeva
and the taunting Saivas which had occurred earlier that day.
He went to Kumaradeva, prostrated to him, and appealed to him
for help. Kumaradeva, though, was unmoved.
He told the king, What business do you have with this deluded
person? Go away!
The king persisted by both praising and beseeching him, adding,
You should forgive this fault of ours and make the chariot move again.
Kumaradeva finally agreed to help by taking up the matter with
Sri Tyagaraja directly.
Accompanied by the king and his entourage, he stood before
the chariot and addressed the deity: If the Virasaiva faith is the way
8

The implication in the original is not that Kumaradeva is a deluded person, but
that the Virasaiva faith is based on deluded principles.

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KUMARADEVA

of grace, let this chariot move. If it is delusion, then let the chariot
remain motionless.
Immediately, and to the joy of everyone watching, the chariot began
to move, reaching its starting point without any further problems.
The first jnana sastra that Kumaradeva composed under the
supervision of Periyanayaki, was Maharaja Turavu (The Renunciation
of a Great King).9 This later became a standard text on Vedanta in the
Tamil-speaking world. It is one of sixteen Vedanta texts that comprise
the syllabus in some traditional South Indian maths. Maharaja Turavu
covers many topics but its principal theme is extolling the virtues of
physical renunciation and ascetic living.
In Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, talk number 648, Bhagavan
mentioned one of its verses with great approval:
In Maharaja Turavu [Kumaradeva writes that he] was seated
on the bare ground, the earth was his seat, the wind was the
chamara; the sky was the canopy; and renunciation was his
spouse.10
Then Sri Bhagavan continued:
I had no cloth spread on the floor in earlier days. I used to sit
on the floor and lie on the ground. That is freedom. The sofa
is a bondage. It is a gaol for me. I am not allowed to sit where
and how I please. Is it not bondage? One must be free to do as
one pleases, and should not be served by others.
No want is the greatest bliss. It can be realised only by
experience. Even an emperor is no match for a man with no
want. The emperor has got vassals under him. But the other
man is not aware of anyone beside the Self. Which is better?
An article on Kumaradeva and a translation of Maharaja Turavu was serialised
in the Mountain Path from April 2010 till January 2011.
10
This is a free rendering of verse 64. The full translation is as follows:
The king remained resplendent with the earth as his bed, and the sky,
appropriately, as his canopy. Existing in happiness as the one Self, the moon
and the ruddy sun became his lamps, the wafting breeze his befitting yak-tail
fan, and renunciation his wife.
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Though the verses of Maharaja Turavu that praised an ascetic and

frugal lifestyle clearly resonated with Bhagavan, he did not accept
Kumaradevas contention, repeated in many of the verses, that physical
renunciation was an essential prerequisite to Self-realisation. There
is no record of Bhagavan ever giving permission to a devotee who
wanted to give up his family or financial responsibilities in order to
pursue a spiritual life full-time. If Bhagavan was asked about this,
he would usually reply that it is the mind that has to be renounced,
not physical circumstances, and that realisation did not depend on
adopting a particular lifestyle.
Sadhu Natanananda (known in his earlier life as Natesa Mudaliar)
was one of the devotees who sought Bhagavans permission to
renounce family life and become a sannyasin. As a keen student of
vedantic texts, Natananananda had probably read Maharaja Turavu
and accepted Kumaradevas prescription that physical renunciation
was a pre-requisite for serious seekers. This is why, in refusing his
request, Bhagavan cited a typical renunciation verse from Maharaja
Turavu before going on to point out that in later works Kumaradeva
had changed his view and taught that renunciation of the ego was more
important than the external variety. This is B. V. Narasimhaswamis
account of Bhagavans reply:
[Around] 1926 Natesa Mudaliar approached Maharshi and said
that he desired to become an ascetic, as that seemed the only
course for him, since domestic life was standing in the way of his
achieving peace and control of mind. Maharshi tried to dissuade
him, and pointed out that if one quitted home to escape a single
hindrance and went to the forest, ten hindrances would beset
him there, as though they came up on purpose to test his mettle.
But do not ask me why I came, said Maharshi. Somehow I
came then.11
11

Bhagavan is saying here, Do not ask me why I myself left my family and came
to Tiruvannamalai. It is something that just happened. Also, the circumstances
were different. Bhagavan did not leave to take up a life of spiritual practice in
Tiruvannamalai. When he left Madurai in 1896, he was already fully enlightened.

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[Bhagavan then] quoted Maharaja Turavu [saying] that the

king, when he left home and all, no doubt said, If a man goes
southward [from a starting point in South India] he will never
go to the Ganges. Similarly, one who stays home will never
obtain liberation.12
But the same king at a later stage said that there was no
difference between domestic life and a hermits.
Just as you are free from cares of home when you are here, said
Maharshi, go home and try to be unconcerned and unaffected
even in the midst of home life.
Natesa Mudaliar got the same negative reply on two or three
later occasions when he again broached the subject of sannyasa.
Maharshis words proved to be quite prophetic. Natesa Mudaliar,
with an impetuosity which no doubt did credit to his heart,
put on kashayam [orange robes] and became a sannyasi. But he
was prevailed upon, after a few years, to resume his place as a
householder and work for his family as a teacher in a school.13
According to Kunju Swami, Natanananda asked Bhagavan to give
him the orange robes of a sannyasin. Natanananda had brought the
cloth to the old hall but Bhagavan refused to touch it. Natanananda
then placed the cloth on the stool in front of Bhagavan that visitors
put their offerings on. After a few minutes he took it away and began
to wear it. A few months later, when Natanananda decided to give
up his life as a sannyasin, he presented the orange robes to Bhagavan.
For the rest of his life he only ever wore white clothes.14
In his reply to Natanananda Bhagavan noted that Kumaradeva
at a later stage said that there was no difference between domestic
This is verse 72 of Maharaja Turavu. The original verse reads:
Will those staying south of the Ganga reach the river and bathe in its holy waters
if they walk southwards?... Similarly, those who remain as householders will not
reach liberation.
13
Self-Realization, 1993 ed., p. 224.
14
The Power of the Presence, part one, p. 97.
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life and a hermits. This is most probably a reference to a sequence

of verses in Advaita Unmai where Kumaradevas views are almost
indistinguishable from those of Bhagavan.
81 There is no need to renounce everything. If karma leaves you,
everything will leave [along with it]. If karma remains, they [objects]
will associate with you. Give up clinging to them or renouncing them.
Knowing that [these things manifest] according to your karma, exert
yourself only to attain the firm knowledge I am the Self .
82 Even if those who are firmly convinced I am the Self continue
to remain as householders, they will lack nothing, and they will be
free from all blemishes. Even if they renounce a householders life,
will those who do not have the firm conviction I am the Self attain
liberation merely because of this [renunciation]? Will their births
come to an end?
83 It is not appropriate to say that those who remain as
householders will have to experience sorrow and delusion [soha and
moha] and that for those who have renounced and become sannyasins,
sorrow and delusion will leave. Sorrow and delusion will not end in
those who do not know I am the Self . It will only end for those who
have the knowledge I am the Self .
84 There is no need either to renounce this world or cling to it.
It is enough for one to know that the world is an illusion. Instantly, it
will leave. If it is asked, What should be renounced and what should
be clung to? the correct solution is to renounce jivatva the feeling
I am a jiva and instead hold tightly to Self-attention.
85 It is not necessary to think about choosing between a
householders life and sannyasa. Neither is an obstacle. Self is attained
by remaining motionless, excluding all thoughts except the thought
of the one [Self ]. The obstacle to merging with that Self state is the
feeling I am a householder or I am a sannyasin. Get rid of it.
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HOW I CAME TO BHAGAVAN

Bhagavans Steady
Guidance
Sol Sandperl

y very first acquaintance with Ramana Maharshi was in a used

bookstore in Montreal, Canada, when I happened upon
Mouni Sadhus book, Concentration. I had been interested in different
spiritual books, considering myself somewhat of a seeker and delving
into what I hoped would answer some deep-seated questions. There
was one statement in this book that came from a sage by the name
of Ramana Maharshi which was, The mind is simply a bundle of
thoughts. I was enamoured of him right then and there. I kept him in
my mind adding to my bundle of thoughts! I started to read books
about him and his life and teaching. I knew that help and guidance
could be obtained from Sri Ramana, but I didnt know exactly how
it would work or how he could ever help me.
It came to me soon enough! Out of a strong dread of death came
the question, How can I overcome this fear? At the time, I was
practising Zen on my own, meditating, and pursuing enlightenment.
The answer did come! It was a few days later, and it was subtle.
It was almost like a gravitational pull towards self-inquiry. The
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question, Who am I? which is central to Ramana Maharshis

teachings emerged from within me. I knew this was coming from
him, yet it was so seamless and subtle that it felt like it was coming
from me. But this pull that I am referring to was as if it was always
there. It simply required my attention. It became stronger when
I turned toward it consciously. Bhagavan has said that if you take
one step towards God, God takes ten steps towards you. Although
this helped, it was the beginning of what was to be a long journey.
A few years later, still searching, I found myself in a monastery
in Japan practising Zazen. The strenuous year of training was good
for strengthening the warrior spirit that would be necessary
on my journey to the Self. Hosshin-ji Temple forced us to face
our attachments to comfort. There was not much sleep, lots of
meditation and it was cold. The monastery itself was on the Japan
Sea and was buffeted by the cold winds from Siberia in the winter.
The Zen Masters loved it such good training. When my time at
the monastery had run its course, I decided to travel toward India. I
stopped at Tiruvannamalai, where Ramanasramam is located. Even
though I was in awe of the Ashram, I only stayed for a few days, as I
was anxious to return to the West after being gone for so long. After
two more years back in my hometown of Montreal, I was not happy
with my situation and felt that my karma with that city had come
to an end. Bhagavan called me to Arunachala once again. The trip was
very potent. On the one pradakshina that I did around Arunachala, I
encountered a leper with stub-like hands and a very warm effulgent
smile. I grasped his hand and put a coin in it. I was not repulsed, but
warmed by this holy being.
Upon returning to the West (this time to America), I entered
the Providence Zen Center. But I soon found myself in the midst
of tremendous anxiety and despair as a result of doing inquiry and
laying myself bare, as it were. Fears and conflicts that were buried
sprang forth, and I was overwhelmed. It felt as if I were running in
a marathon where previously I had only run a mile. One afternoon,
I had taken solitude in the woods, wrestling with the question, How
can I overcome this? I was desperately asking for help. Suddenly,
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BHAGAVANS STEADY GUIDANCE

I heard Swami talking to me. It was his voice in English, and he said,
Sol, you must fight! I felt better but could not yet lift off the
heavy burden of my mind. It was here that I received the help and
great teaching of Zen Master Seung Sahn, a Korean master whom
I had just recently started practising with. With his help, I mustered
up enough energy and drive to get through it. I had to temporarily
abandon self-inquiry and go straight to mantra practice with bowing.
Bowing was a very strenuous activity that calmed my mind and gave
me a sense of control over my situation. I was forced to practise hard
in this manner to keep me on an even keel. Although the Zen Center
helped me greatly, I was unsure about whether staying there was
right for me. I entreated Bhagavan as to whether I should continue
practising there, and this is what happened: A few days later, as
I was flipping through The Life and Teaching of Ramana Maharshi, by
Arthur Osborne, my finger stopped on a line that read, Providence
will take care of you. That resolved my doubt immediately, and
I practised there for another five years, gaining strength and
equanimity in the process.
After leaving the Zen Center, I came to Boston. I was not asking
Swami for much at that time. My spiritual practice had become
stagnant. I was going through the motions. The mantra became an
obstacle. That which had earned me some freedom years earlier was
now an impediment. Hidden feelings and emotional demons would not
surface freely to be experienced so that I could let them go. Eventually I
found myself in dire straits again. A good friend recommended I try to
see a therapist, which I also felt I was directed to by Swami. The therapist
recognized that my practice was ready to enter into a new phase, a new
season. He had encouraged me to look at my feelings without judging
and not try to escape them. He felt that they needed to be allowed up
into the light of consciousness. However, the intense feelings of fear
and panic escalated to a point of near collapse. I could barely function.
One late night, while sitting in my apartment, I wondered to myself,
What are these intense feelings? What is at their core? I was too
exhausted to resist, and so I cocked my ear to listen to the sound of the
whirling chaos of my anxiety. And I started to hear some distant yelling.
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I listened closer, and it became a little more distinct. Now I even heard
my mother, and then my father screaming. I recognized it. It was at
the peak of my parents divorce. I was eleven. They were fighting. It
was mentally very violent. The police were called to the house several
times within a period of a few months.
The recognition that this mass of fear had a substance to it, a shape
was liberating. I was beginning to learn a valuable lesson dont
resist negative feelings, just look at them. Let them tell you their
story without interrupting them. Be still let them unfold and
show themselves.
It was then that I could return back to my main practice the
mantra but I used it only as a gentle backdrop with which I allowed
myself to experience the fear that was in me. As one of my Zen teachers
put it, the mantra was no longer the driving engine, but more subtle,
rather like a white crane in a snowstorm. There, but barely visible.
Soon thereafter, it seemed like enough fears and obstructions
were cleared from the mind, and this allowed me to find my wife
my soulmate. We soon had a child, and I found family life deeply
satisfying. My situation became very structured, focused, and blessed.
Ramana Maharshi was never forgotten, and I continued to read his
books, subscribed to The Mountain Path, and even introduced my
wife to him who was also very moved by him.
One morning, a change in my practice occurred. Sitting in
meditation I felt the urge to try vichara instead of mantra. Swami
appeared inwardly and literally gave me a little push with a practical
urging, as if to say, Try this its so much better and less of an
encumbrance. I did it, and realized the ease and directness of selfinquiry. I realized I had been the repeater of the mantra, the mantra
itself, and the resister of the mantra. I saw all of this flashing through
my mind. Swami nudged me into direct practice, and I have never
returned to mantra practice since.
Another instance when Bhagavans direct influence was felt was
one morning in meditation when I felt the old panic re-arising.
I was afraid that it would escalate and I would be in trouble again.
Suddenly, I remembered the Heart on the right side. I felt Swami
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push my attention to the Heart and place his hand over it. I knew
immediately that I was safe from escalating fears once and for all and
that ABIDING IN THE HEART was a powerful and direct route to
the Source. Indeed it was the Source.
Another small but uncanny example of Swamis guidance a little
while ago, I became captivated with the idea of experiencing what
I believed to be a past incarnation in ancient Rome. I knew that Swami
did not recommend delving into that. He said it leads to more trouble.
(Now you have the karma of two lifetimes to think about!) I showed
restraint, and did not pursue this desire. A few weeks later I found a
book in the library by Horace, an ancient Roman writer who wrote
vividly about day- to- day life in Rome. This satisfied my craving in
a very safe way. I felt Swamis hand in this, and I was very grateful.
A few months ago I was meditating in the morning, and I was
frustrated. I wanted to recapture the sense I had a few weeks earlier
of the bliss and clarity of not thinking. But now I was removed from
itand angry! I asked Bhagavan for guidance. Again, I was pointed
towards vichara. Who is angry? I asked. Who feels like they have
lost the experience of oneness? Self inquiry revealed that the anger
was a thought, and that which wanted to recapture an experience
was the I-thought the mother of all thoughts. The I-thought was
masquerading as me but it wasnt me. It was and is a phantom!
I have found that in the early morning in the state just before being
fully awake, self inquiry becomes easier. At that time I experience many
thought structures that at first seem real and foreboding and very large,
until it suddenly becomes apparent through self-enquiry that theyre just
thoughts. Swami has indeed shown me that the direct route to realize
our true Self is to weaken the thought structures by seeing through them
again and again, with steady and long practice until they cease altogether.
Who am I? Why is this question so important to me? Because
I realized that I was making a fundamental error. I believed that
I was separate from the universe. I lived in my thoughts in a bubble
of thinking. I rarely, if ever, looked at the world directly. I rarely
did something totally wholeheartedly. because I was distracted
distracted by a false I thought. Waking up from this by asking, To
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whom do these thoughts occur? led me to a different angle of vision

which changed everything. It cut any and every knot. The silence is
priceless even if I cant stay in it permanently yet.
How lucky I am! Thank you, Swami.

On the Death by Drowning of a 10 Year Old Boy

Upahar
I saw you just the other day
racing happily around the village,
with your dear big brother, whose heart
so sorely grieves for you.
They say the holy lake covered your eyes
They say you bore the sacred name Arunachalam.
Tears rise to blind us,
we cry out for understanding, for forgiveness.
We remember with our whole being our lost beloved ones,
newborn, ancient, or like you, suddenly and mysteriously
moving beyond our view.
We know nothing, and must now bow
to this un-knowing;
yet something in us deep and true
continues endlessly to praise
the One who gives and takes away,
the endless Heart too vast for sadness or even joy.
We offer this Child to You,
who is already forever only Yours.
Our trust in You grows and deepens in every moment,
Arunachala, Master of the lake of souls.
Our true prayer rises to you in the silence.
Hear our prayer
Hear our prayer.
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October - December

The Story
of the Diamond
Qadre Alam
Translated by Nawazuddin

n a small hut near the city, there lived a woodcutter who was busily
occupied with looking after his family. Though his means were
meagre, he was a very contented man.
One day, while he was passing through the forest, he spotted a
small piece of glass glittering in the sunlight. The glass was very clear,
and sparkled with lustre. The woodcutter had heard of diamonds and
their value. Thinking that this must be a diamond and that the Lord
had provided him with it, he quickly picked it up and went home.
On seeing the woodcutter, his wife became perplexed and asked
him why he had returned home so soon. She wondered, Where is
his stock? Has he lost it or has someone taken it?
The woodcutter said, Do not get agitated. Look! The Lord God
has given me a diamond.
The wife said, Show me the diamond immediately, I am eager
to see it.
Nawazuddin lives in Tiruvannamalai and is a retired bank official. He
devotes himself to the study of Sufism to which he was initiated by his
father, Rafaidia.
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Taking his wife to the corner of the house, he showed her the piece
of glass. On seeing it, excitedly she said, Go and sell it. Our days
of poverty and destitution are over. Finally, the Lord has granted us
comfort and peace.
The woodcutter said, Listen to me. This is a large diamond.
If I take this to the bazaar, people would unnecessarily lay claim
to it. They would say, Where is this woodcutter and whence this
diamond? Certainly he has stolen it from somewhere. People would
slander me and we would be divested of our diamond as well as of
our lives. It is better to devise a plan to dispose of this diamond, or
else we will get into trouble. Moreover, we will not get a fair price
for this diamond. It is sensible to keep it safe and to sell it through
a middleman.
The woodcutter kept the piece of glass in a small box and wrapped
the box in rags of blankets, and then hid the bundle amongst the
lumber. With his meagre resources he managed to maintain his family
for a few days, and when they ran out of food, he started searching
for an intermediary to help him sell the diamond. One of his friends
directed him to a Master jeweller in the nearby city.
The woodcutter went and found the Master jeweller, and he saw
his authority and the exalted position he occupied. He was surrounded
by many people, some sitting and others standing with folded arms.
There were other jewellers too, sitting in chairs and checking the
quality of gems. On seeing this, the woodcutter stood aloof from
the crowd, reverentially in the presence of the jeweller. The jeweller
was a wise mystic, and had magical powers. Gently he looked at the
woodcutter and, summoning him, enquired after him.
The jeweller said, When the sun casts its rays often it transforms
mere stones into rubies and cornelians.
The woodcutter replied, O generous one, I am a poor man.
I have come to behold your feet.
In compassion, the jeweller gave him some money, which the
woodcutter politely accepted and went home. With that money he
looked after his family for some time, all the while pinning his hopes
on the diamond he had hidden.
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THE STORY OF THE DIAMOND

Again, he went to the jeweller and hopefully stood in his presence,

waiting to be addressed. Again, the jeweller gave him alms. Once more,
for the third time, the woodcutter went to pay his respects to the jeweller.
Respectfully, with folded arms, he prostrated before him and told him he
had been cherishing the hope of making an entreaty at his feet.
The jeweller said, My brother, tell me whatever you have to say.
The woodcutter replied, There is too much of a crowd here.
People of both high and low birth are gathered here. If I could get a
private audience I would consider myself fortunate.
The jeweller was a kind man, and he invited the woodcutter into
his private chamber. The woodcutter again reverentially prostrated
before him and told him the story of what he had found.
The jeweller allayed his fears and said, Fear not my friend; go and
bring your diamond here and I shall fetch a good price from the king.
The woodcutter said, I am afraid of bringing it here. Please do
take the trouble of visiting my home.
The jeweller, being blessed with piety and noble manners, agreed,
saying, All right. Let us proceed to your home, my friend.
Whoever is destined to be favoured with a treasure of Divine
Grace, usually undergoes sufferings in this world. When God wants
to shower His Grace on someone, He merely adopts some means to
exhibit it when He pleases.
The jeweller prepared his conveyance and arrived at woodcutters
home in a dignified manner. The woodcutter spread an old mat for
him to sit on, and his family paid obeisance to him.
The jeweller said, Where is your diamond? Bring it here and
I shall assess its price.
The woodcutter took down the bundle from the lumber and
started removing the rags. Mystified on seeing this, the jeweller
thought, The diamond is a small thing, but how enormous the
padding. With what terrible and dreadful things has this woodcutter
wrapped up the diamond! He should have been more careful.
Finally the woodcutter opened the bundle, took out the small
box and gave it to the jeweller. The jeweller opened the box and lo!
What he saw was nothing but a piece of glass.
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Although this is only a glass piece, the poor woodcutter has

fashioned his hope on it, the jeweller thought. If I tell him the
truth, he will become very despondent. He must have heard the name
diamond and has held on to this glass piece thinking it a diamond.
Let me employ this woodcutter as an apprentice and teach him the
art of identifying gemstones.
The far-sighted jeweller said, Dear friend, very precious and of a
rare distinction is your diamond. If I take this to the king, I fear he
would demand it for a low price. On the other hand, if the king seeks
this diamond, we shall get a better price. Till such an opportune time
arrives keep this diamond safe and never look at it. And also, until then
be at my service without any reservation and I shall look after you.
Saying this, the jeweller returned to his house. Acting according
to the counsel of the jeweller, the woodcutter re-packed the glass
piece and hid it in the lumber. Then he hurried to the service of his
new master.
The jeweller took hold of the woodcutters hands and called all the
other jewellers to his side. Emphatically he said to them, This poor
fellow has come to serve me. Basically he is a woodcutter. Keep him
with you always and teach him the art of analyzing jewels.
Since everyone in the assembly was under the authority of the
Master jeweller, they commenced teaching him. Those lessons started
yielding good results and the woodcutter profited by learning the
techniques. For a long period, and in this way, he was groomed, and
he attained distinction in acquiring the skills.
After a further period, the Master summoned all the jewellers and
enquired whether the woodcutter had acquired the necessary skills to
distinguish various jewels. Everyone present assured the Master that
he was now an adept in his art. The Master went inside his chamber
and came out carrying diamonds mixed with quartz and crystals.
He gave this mixture to the woodcutter and asked him to find out
whether those jewels were good or otherwise.
After carefully examining the stones, the woodcutter said there
were quartz and crystals also in the mixture. The jeweller then asked
him to separate the gemstones.
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THE STORY OF THE DIAMOND

The woodcutter pointed out to him the gems and the other stones.
The jeweller, in order to test his knowledge, insisted that they were all
pure and unalloyed gems. He said, And you say some are diamonds
and a few are quartz.
The woodcutter said, Esteemed Master, the intrinsic value and
real merit of each substance is established and has been revealed to
me under scrutiny.
The jeweller complimented him and said that he now had the
talent to distinguish a precious stone from a pebble.
After sometime the jeweller called the woodcutter and told him
that the king desired a large sized diamond. Go and bring your
diamond and I shall sell it for a good price, he said.
Happily the woodcutter went home, opened the bundle and
looked at the piece of glass in the box. He realised that it was neither
a crystal nor even quartz, but a piece of glass. With a sense of shame
he sank into an ocean of remorse, like a naked man immersing himself
in water.
Ruefully he thought, Who am I? I am a mere woodcutter; how did
I think I was a jeweller? How could a crystal be equal to a diamond?
I am a peasant and he is a prince; I am ignoble and he has noble
virtues; he is high and I am low. How often I have lied to him about
the diamond. By employing untruth as a ruse I became friendly with
him. I lived on his sustenance by deceit. How stupid I was to summon
his august presence to my home for the sake of a mere piece of glass.
What a faithful and tolerant person he is! Even after seeing the glass
piece, he gave me shelter. How kindly he tutored me. He never let
my hopes be shattered into despondency. Instead he taught me the
art of gemmology.
He showed me the way so that I am clear in my understanding.
By transforming a woodcutter into a jeweller he has made a beggar
into a king. How can I now appear before him? I am thoroughly
mortified. Ruminating thus on his follies, the woodcutter remained
at home.
The jeweller understood why the woodcutter had not returned
with his diamond. He sympathized with him, knowing that shame
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prevented him from facing him. So, once again he went to the home
of woodcutter and asked him why he had not brought his diamond.
Like a mortar of lime getting dissolved in water, the woodcutter
prostrated at his feet. Tenderly the jeweller said, O friend, indeed you
have arrived at the fountainhead of truth, even though your journey
started from ignorant assumption.
It is the aspiration to own a diamond and know its value that
has shown you the way. The love of the diamond made you seek the
jeweller. From the Master jeweller you learnt the science and art of
gemmology by working with other jewellers. The love of the diamond
has made you attain an eminent position and, abandoning your false
and pretentious knowledge, you have adopted fidelity with fairness.
The Master jeweller continued to mentor him and made him a
jeweller among jewellers.
The jewellers role is metaphorical. All obstacles are removed from
the path of the man that God grants true knowledge to, and his heart
is illumined with the Truth.
Now listen to the wisdom of this parable. The cut glass, which the
woodcutter carefully preserved, is the outward form of religion. The
rags and box are the rituals of worship. The endeavour to keep the
glass piece safely is faith, and the dread of losing it is steadfastness.
The value of the diamond is grace and the vision of the Lord. How
could anybody get a fair value without the mediation of an intercessor?
When the woodcutter wanted to sell the diamond he started to search
for an intermediary. The friend who directed him to the jeweller is
the worldly preceptor. The Lord, in order to grant him His vision,
directed him to the Master jeweller who is none other than the
Spiritual Master.
The Spiritual Master, after noticing the sincerity in the woodcutters
quest for the Truth, taught him by his personal grace and favour. Until the
Master casts his grace, the road to salvation cannot be found. Subsequently,
a novice can discern truth from falsehood. The right way is shown to one
who has an earnest desire to know the truth, even if he is deluded.
The genuine diamond is the Soul of Prophet Mohammed, in whose
light the entire universe is manifest. The Light of Mohammed is the
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Light of God. Know in certainty that the same light is reflected in

the soul of Adam. Therefore the genuine diamond is essentially the
light of the perfect man. The jeweller is the Master, with whom the
stations of the way can be traversed. The house of the jeweller is the
soul of man, and the house of the woodcutter is the body of man.
When Qadre Alam embraced Badre Alam as his Master,
Qadre Alam too achieved the status of pir.

Prayer
Ana Callan
You are my heart, O Arunachula!
You are the flower of my being.
You are the melody that soars
through lifetimes
in this wild, illusive dream.
But you are not elusive.
You are the steady font of love
that flows in endless waves of grace
through every strand of us.
Strand us into lustrous jewels
that make music to enchant you.
Will you receive the petals
that we scatter at your feet?
Let us turn to you
in humble gratitude
as you deliver us
of our impurities
as you draw us slowly,
surely, passionately
back to The Absolute.
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Advaita Vedanta
and Kashmir
Saivism
john grimes

dvaita Vedanta philosophy is often spoken of as the crown of

Upanisadic thought based on Sankaracaryas commentaries
that rendered mystical Upanisadic thought logically self-consistent
and rationally intelligible. Likewise, Kashmir Saivism is known as
the most prominent philosophical system of the Tantric tradition
led by Abhinavagupta extracting Tantric thought from a jungle of
mystic, symbolic, and mysterious ideas and presenting it in a rational,
cogent, and coherent manner. Many believe that Indias two greatest
philosophers were Sankara and Abhinavagupta.
Both of these philosophical systems claim to be exponents of
advaita or absolute non-duality. Kashmir Saivism declares that there
is nothing that is not Siva (Sivo bhokta, Sivo bhojya, Sivo karta, Sivah
karma, Sivah karanatmakah)1 and Advaita Vedanta declares that there
is nothing that is not Brahman (sarvam khalvidam brahma). Further
1

Siva is the Subject of enjoyment; Siva is the Object of enjoyment; Siva the Doer;
Siva is Action; Siva is the Cause of action.

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similarities coincide in that they both accept: a self-luminous Self

(atman); that Reality is Consciousness (cit); that the nature of the
Absolute is indeterminable and indescribable; that the world is an
appearance (abhasa); that ignorance (ajnana) is the cause of bondage
and that wisdom (jnana) is the means to Self-realization; and that
there are jivanmuktas or individualsliberated-while-living-in-a-body.
All these similarities are astonishing and, on the surface, would
appear that the two schools of philosophy expound a similar
doctrine. However, there is one important aspect in which they
radically disagree. Advaita Vedanta views the world-illusion as a
superimposition (adhyasa) upon Brahman while Kashmir Saivism
holds that the world is a spontaneous self-projection (svaprakasatva)
of Siva. In other words, according to Advaita, the world is thought
to be neither real nor unreal (sadasatvilaksana), a mere appearance
while Kashmir Saivism considers the world as a real projection of Siva.
In the third, revised and enlarged edition of his book, Kashmir
Saivism: The Central Philosophy of Tantrism, Kamalakar Mishra,
presented a new chapter (chapter 11) comparing and contrasting
Advaita Vedanta with Kashmir Saivism. His contention is that
Kashmir Saivism has something significant to say to Advaita Vedanta
to improve upon its philosophy and Advaita has something to say to
Kashmir Saivism that will render it more complete.
The dilemma, that all philosophical systems must reconcile is,
how to explain the seeming dichotomy between absolute non-duality
and multiplicity. Is multiplicity an illusion as Advaita claims or is
multiplicity the spontaneous self-projection of Siva and thus real?
It is crucial that one understands the distinction Advaita makes
between the absolutely real (paramarthika) and the empirically real
(vyavaharika) points of view. This distinction pervades the entire
system and what is true from one point of view is not so from another.
Without being entirely clear with regard to this distinction, it is likely
that one will accuse the Advaitin of inconsistencies and contradictions.
From the empirical point of view, Advaita admits of numerous
distinctions. Metaphysically, there is the problem of the One and the
many. Individuals are different from one another and there exists a
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seeming plurality of things. Epistemologically, there is the subjectobject dichotomy, as well as the problem of truth and error. Ethically,
there is the problem of bondage and freedom. However, from the
Advaitins Absolute point of view, there is only Brahman/Atman
One and non-dual (ekam eva advitiyam).1
The pluralism that is experienced at the empirical level, and with
which philosophical enquiry commences, is not the final truth.
Advaita avers that anything that is experienced is real, in some sense
or other. Therefore, Advaitas epistemology is realistic and posits that
every cognition points to an objective referent whether veridical
or erroneous. The question becomes: Exactly how real are the things
that are experienced in the empirical world? Sankara avers that the
things of the world are real only so long as the empirical order lasts
for a given individual. The division of real and unreal depends upon
knowledge or experience: That is real whose knowledge does not
miscarry; the unreal on the contrary, is the object of a knowledge
that fails or goes astray.2
As a consequence of this, if the resulting knowledge is not later
contradicted, it follows that the real is that which lasts or is eternal.
According to Sankara, the real is that which lasts, which suffers no
contradictions, which is eternal and unsublatable. Things of the world
may be said to be real until they suffer sublation. Thus, they are called
what is other than the real or the unreal (sadasatvilaksana), illusory
(mithya). Since they are cognized, they are not unreal (asat). Since they
are sublated, they are not real (sat). By this criterion, Brahman alone
is absolutely real; Brahman alone is never subject to contradiction.
All else is considered real by courtesy only.
Mishra states, The basic criticism of the Advaita Vedantic position
from the side of Kashmir Saivism is that the presupposition about
action/activity with which the Advaitin starts is one-sided.3 He says
Chandogya Upanisad, VI.ii.1.
Bhagavadgitabhasya of Sankara II.16. Also: Brahmasutrabhasya. II.i.2 and III.ii.4.
3
Mishra, Kamalakar, Kashmir Saivism, The Central Philosophy of Tantraism. Indica
Books, D40/18 Godowlia, Varanasi, 221001, U.P., 2011, p. 448. See www.
indicabooks.com
1
2

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that four consequences follow from this presupposition. 1) Since

action is a sign of imperfection and since Brahman is perfect, there
can be no action in Brahman; 2) Brahman being inactive, there can be
no srsti-kriya in it and hence creation cannot be taken as the work of
Brahman; 3) If creation is not the act of Brahman, then how to explain
the creation of the world? 4) If the world is not an active creation of
Brahman, then how to explain the sentences of the Upanisads which
clearly and explicitly proclaim that Brahman created the world?
The primary objection Advaitins have to such questions is that
they claim their doctrine has not been correctly understood and that
such objections are mere straw dogs, imaginary fantasies, that the
opposition has conveniently set up and then attacked. Advaitins do
not actually hold that action is not a sign of imperfection. From their
absolute perspective, action is non-existent. Advaita declares that
nothing has ever been created. Finally, Advaitins contend that not
all statements in the sruti need be taken literally.
Bhagavan Ramana replied, when asked how creation came
about, Various accounts are given in books. But is there creation?
Only if there is creation do we have to explain how it came
about.4 There are diverse creation theories each seeking to explain
or explain away creation. All such theories are purely mental, mere
intellectual explanations. The Upanisad says about the Reality, Yato
vaco nivartante aprapya manasa saha whence words return along
with the mind, not attaining it. Each theory about creation may be
considered true from the standpoint of an individuals thought, but
there is no creation in the state of realization. When one sees the
world, one does not see the Self. When one sees the Self, the world
is not seen.
Mishra points out that if the Advaitin proceeds from their
presupposition that Brahman does not act, then by logical demand they
must come to the position that the world is a mere superimposition.
He then goes on to say that such a position implies duality on the
one hand there is an actionless Brahman and on the other there is
4

Mudaliar, Devaraja, Day by Day with Bhagavan, 2002, p.154. 17-2-46 Afternoon.

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ignorance or maya superimposing the world-appearance on Brahman.

Mishra presents a view that is held by all Kashmiri Saivites that avidya
or maya is an independent reality different from Brahman.
But is this really the Advaitins position? A projection upon a
substratum, a snake upon the rope, has no existence apart from the
substratum (rope). Never is the snake other than the rope; never is
the superimposed other than the substratum. Silver is not apart from
the shell; the mirage is not apart from the desert. Likewise, the world
of phenomena is not other than the Self. Is there now, was there ever,
will there ever be a snake in the rope?; water in a mirage? To equate
an unreal appearance as a second to Brahman is a misunderstanding.
There is no rope, there is no snake, there is no real world-as-world
for the mukta.
Mishra says that if the non-duality of Brahman is to be saved, the
world-appearance must be taken as the self-projection of Brahman
and not a superimposition on Brahman. But for the Advaitin, there
is no world-appearance that must be saved. Need one save the objects
that appear in a dream? Need one save the water in the mirage or
the snake in the rope? Advaitas position is that there is nothing to
be projected, nothing to be transformed and to suggest such does
violence to Advaitas position.
In order to realize that one is really Brahman, one must accept
the world as unreal. Why? Sri Ramana said, For the simple reason
that unless you give up the idea that the world is real your mind will
always be after it. If you take the appearance to be real you will never
know the real itself, although it is the real alone which exists. The
point is illustrated by the analogy of the snake and the rope. You may
be deceived into believing that a piece of rope is a snake. While you
imagine that the rope is a snake you cannot see the rope as a rope.
The non-existent snake becomes real to you, while the real rope seems
wholly non-existent as such.5
Mishra says that the Advaitin may reply that maya/avidya is
the power (sakti) of Isvara and that the world-appearance is a self5

Maharshis Gospel, Book 2, Chapter III The Jnani and the World, 2000. p. 49.

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projection of Isvara through his maya sakti. But then the Saivite asks,
how does Brahman become Isvara? He replies that Brahman cannot
become Isvara because there is no kriya-sakti in Brahman. Thus
duality will remain. There will now be Brahman and Isvara. Thus,
the question still remains for the Advaitin how the formless (nirguna)
becomes that with form (saguna)?
In every philosophical debate, the proponent of a particular
position wants to play on his own turf, that is, to get the opponent
to accept his presuppositions. However, when the opponent refuses
to accept the proponents presuppositions, and instead offers his
own, then any conclusions which are formulated will change. The
siddhanta, the final position of Advaita Vedanta, is that nothing has
ever happened. An example offered is that of the experiences and
objects encountered in ones dreams. Upon waking, no one will say
that they really performed the actions or encountered any objects
that were experienced while dreaming. It is true that, while dreaming,
the dreamer believes the experiences and objects to be real, but upon
waking the dreamer says that it was all an illusion, an appearance
with no existential reality.
Mishra contends that Advaita Vedanta can contribute three
important metaphysical points to Kashmir Saivism for its completion:
1) Kashmir Saivism should explicitly and clearly accept the
distinction between the two levels of reality (the paramarthika and
the vyavaharika); 2) Kashmir Saivism should formulate a clear theory
of ignorance (avidya) in order to explain how the illusory becomes
(appears as) the real; 3) Kashmir Saivism should accept the distinction
between the real (permanent) nature and the accidental nature of
reality (Siva) what in the Advaita tradition is called the distinction
between the svarupa-laksana and the tatastha-laksana of Brahman.
Every form of advaita or absolute non-duality has to accept two
levels in one and the same reality (the absolute and the relative/
apparent). Without this distinction there is no way to relate the
seeming plurality with the One. Plurality has to be accepted as the
apparent/ illusory appearance of the One that is Real. When Kashmir
Saivism claims that plurality is a self-projection of Siva and is real,
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then logically difficulties arise. If a table-as-table is real and Siva has

self-projected Himself as the table, then, the concept of real has real
consequences. This necessarily implies that Siva may never get back
to being Siva. It is only when the table is a concealment, a temporary
covering (abhasa) of the Real, that the underlying Reality is not
competing with another reality.
Mishra points out that although the word abhasa means something
illusory, Abhinavagupta calls this illusion real (satya). It is pointed
out that Abhinavagupta never meant to suggest that objects in the
world, table-qua-table, etc., are real. He posited that appearances as
appearances are real that is, they are projections of Consciousness
that are experienced. He also defined abhasa as real in the sense that
all physical appearances are active self-projections/self-creations of
Consciousness and not mere superimpositions. Finally, Abhinavagupta
gave abhasa an aesthetic value in that those individuals who experience
objects derive pleasure and joy from the experience.
Mishra points out that there are instances where Abhinavagupta has
argued, like Gaudapada or Ramana Maharshi, that there is really no
bondage, no liberation, no birth, no death from the point of view
of Siva. However, this aspect of Kashmir Saivism is rarely mentioned
due to the fear that people, upon hearing it, would misunderstand
and thereby do no sadhana (spiritual practices) let alone help others
in the (seeming) world.
Mishra also speaks of the Advaitins doctrine of svarupa-laksana and
the tatastha-laksana. According to Advaita, knowledge may be viewed
in two aspects: the empirical and the metaphysical. Metaphysically,
the fundamental essence of knowledge (svarupa jnana) is Pure
Consciousness beyond the relative duality of the knower and the
known. It is self-luminous (svayam jyoti) and self-existent (svayam
siddha). It IS the non-relational, non-dual Reality. It is not an aspect
of, nor an attribute of pure Consciousness. Empirical or relative
knowledge, on the other hand, is an expression of pure Consciousness
through a mental mode (antahkarana vrtti) of a cognizer. This
empirical knowledge takes various relational forms according to the
nature of the object, i.e., internal cognitions (subjective) that are
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psychological and external sense-perceptions (objective) which are

psycho-physical.
Mishra points out that creation, in Kashmir Saivism, is the very
nature of Siva. If creation is the svarupa of Siva (like Consciousness
and Bliss), then it necessarily follows that Siva cannot be free from
creation, cannot be without creation, as it is Sivas very nature. Yet,
the very nature of Siva demands He is free to create or not create
and even to be without creation if He so chooses. Further, if creation
is the svarupa of Siva, then Siva would not be absolute non-duality
but would be unity-in-difference (visistadvaita). These problems
can be overcome by elucidating a doctrine like Advaitas svarupalaksana (essentail nature) and tatastha-laksana (accidential attributes
superimposed on the essential nature of a thing).
Kamalakar Mishras Kashmir Saivism: The Central Philosophy of
Tantrism, is a very well-written and extremely thought-provoking
book. In this work, Mishra has expounded and explored the central
themes (history, epistemology, Siva-Sakti, Sakti, creation, abhasavada,
problem of evil, concept of pratyabhijna (self-recognition), bondage
and liberation, means to moksa, the left-handed doctrine or kaula
sadhana and sexual sublimation) found in Kashmir Saivism. This latest
edition contains a chapter, Kashmir Saivism vis--vis Advaita Vedanta,
and it is this chapter that provoked this paper. In this chapter Mishra
has shown how the two philosophical schools of Advaita Vedanta and
Kashmir Saivism are really not so far apart and if one finds what is
implicit in some of their doctrines and renders them explicit, such
an endeavor will prove extremely rewarding.

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The Quest
Chapter Thirteen
Miracles and Sadhana
Lucia Osborne

runachala, the heart of the universe, is also a magic mountain.

Just as we identify ourselves with the body so does Siva identify
himself with Arunachala, Bhagavan explained. In 1981 a visitor to
the Ashram, Pamela Lightbody, had an unforgettable experience on
the Hill. It revealed itself to her as a flaming white Light without
beginning or end just as in the legend, according to Arunachala
Mahatmya Siva revealed Himself to Brahma and Vishnu to end
their dispute. The one who could find the beginning or end of the
Light would be the victor. This proved impossible. Mortal eyes could
not stand the radiance of the Light so Siva was implored to take a
form which mortal eyes could behold and thus he took the form of
Arunachala.
Lucia Osborne was married to Arthur Osborne, the founder of The Mountain
Path. She was editor of the magazine from 1970 to 1973.
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Devaraja Mudaliar, a staunch devotee, a lawyer by profession and

author of Day by Day with Bhagavan and My Recollections of Bhagavan
Sri Ramana sometimes talked in the hall about miracles. He was, on
his own admission rather partial to miracles. Bhagavan told him the
details of two miracles of which he had knowledge and added that
miracles occur even now. During the early years of his stay on the
Hill, a lady alighted from the train at Tiruvannamalai railway station
at night, got into a jetka (horse-cart) and told the driver to take her
to a certain street in the town. The driver took her to an out-of-theway place and was about to rob her of her jewels. In her anxiety she
called on Arunachala. Suddenly two police constables appeared on the
scene, heard her complaint, escorted her safely in the cart to her house
and went away. The lady noted down the numbers of the two police
constables and subsequently made enquiries about them intending to
thank or reward them, but no such police constables could be traced
at the police station and none of the police at Tiruvannamalai knew
anything of the nights occurrence.
Bhagavan told another similar story on that occasion. There was
an elderly cripple, a relative of T.K. Sundaresa Aiyar (T.K.S.) who was
very devout and used to make the circuit of Arunachala Hill in spite
of his disability. After many years stay at Tiruvannamalai, he once got
so vexed at the treatment he received from his relatives with whom he
was staying and on whom he depended, that he decided in disgust to
leave Tiruvannamalai. Before he left the outskirts of town, a young
Brahmin appeared before him and, with apparent rudeness, snatched
away his crutches, saying, You do not deserve these. Miraculously he
found he could walk normally. To walk round Arunachala on crutches
would have hastened his release but not if in a resentful mood. Devaraja
maintained that it was Bhagavan who performed the miracles.
When told so Bhagavan took no notice of it.
All troubles and perils come from otherness, animate or inanimate,
be it wild animals or robbers or from missing trains or losing things
and so on. What relief to wake up from such a nights dream into the
waking state. The dream person and the waking person were not
different people. They were one. The waking state is also a dream, a
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longer more consecutive one. We dream ourselves in a belt of illusory

time with birth, old age, and death and innumerable shifts and
changes of life like that king in the Yoga Vasistha story who dreamt a
lifetime of misery in the duration of several minutes of illusory time,
the duration of a thought, away from his kingly state.
Sadhana is waking up from the dream of life into Oneness of
Being. We are Gods dream. God is I AM in absolute perfection and
purity. Jehova means I All. I AM that I AM is the reply to Moses.
Be still and know that I AM God or rather that God is I AM.
We identify ourselves with the body. It is also I am but tied to some
state or other, vulnerable, conditioned, insecure. And this vulnerable,
insecure conditioned I am reaches out to the perfect, all-embracing,
all-powerful I AM in a state which an ancient describes as more of
happiness than happiness itself, a state of such well-being that finite
words are too poor to describe it. A state where there is no birth, old
age or death. So the finite I am, the embodied human being reaches
out to Infinity, the I AM in absolute perfection which is its own
Self. What could be more gracious than your own perfect Self to your
own limited self? Thats why Bhagavan wrote in the Five Hymns to Sri
Arunachala, Kinder Thou art than ones own mother. Thats why
saints welcome whatever comes as Grace good or bad coming from
your own Self that is trying you, that is preparing you to receive
Grace. In Hinduism it would be to clean your sheet of karma so that
ever-present Grace can well up.
Master Dogen, the Japanese Soto Zen master, counsels: In the
midst of desire and grasping which we cannot do away with however
much we try, in the midst of our deluded thoughts and ideas we are
to try to discover the world of release.
The life of desire and grasping is that all the time though I think
I will not get angry, anger arises. I think I will not say stupid things,
yet they come out.
By the power of spiritual discipline the true emptiness can be
experienced and true emptiness is liberation from all finitude....
What is this anger which arises, what is this complication, what
is this greed? In this way we directly confront the wrong thoughts
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and ideas. Spiritual discipline enables us to have actual experience of

the world of emptiness which is liberation.
When meditation becomes uneven, restless, that is the time
to persevere to break through. It may steady itself or not, but as
Bhagavan assures us and is proved by actual experience, sincere
effort unfailingly brings results sooner or later. Calmness develops
naturally out of a state of inner composure brought about by
perseverance without trying to force results. Nor must one try to
induce calmness by means of artificial rigidity. When we feel we
can do no more we pray or surrender. In prayer we turn to the
inexhaustible motive power, the Source of all power which is our
own innermost Self in absolute purity.
What could be more gracious, we repeat, than our own infinite
all-powerful supremely blissful SELF, I-I, to our finite distressed,
vulnerable self, I (ego). Our prayers are granted. No thought will
ever go in vain. Every thought will produce its effect some time or
other. Thought force will never go in vain, Bhagavan assures us.
However the effect will be produced at the right time. Adversity may
be necessary for some to open their inner vision to the Reality of God,
their own Self. Sweet are the uses of adversity, says Shakespeare.
Ibn Ata-Illah: May the pain of trial be lightened for you by your
knowledge that it is He, be He exalted, that is trying you. There is
no doubt that for men of God their best moment is the moment of
distress, for this it is that fosters their growth. By this suffering their
hearts are purified and transformed into pure substance.
Koran: The best of your moments is that in which you are
thrown back on your own helplessness; it may be that in distress you
will find benefits that you have been unable to find anywhere else.
The uncertainty of life has a substratum of Certainty which we feel
vaguely or to a greater extent and reach out to it.
Just as in the plant the urge towards the sun and air compels
the germ to break through the darkness of the earth so the germ of
enlightenment concealed in the innermost heart of all men high or
low ultimately breaks through the obscuration caused by the illusion
of an objective world with all its entanglements.
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There is one light of the sun though it is interrupted by walls,

mountains and innumerable impediments. There is one universal
substance though it is broken up into myriad bodies and with its
peculiar qualities. There is one soul though the nature and the limits
of the individuals among which it is distributed are legion. And there
is one intellective soul though it seems divided. Marcus Aurelius.
Birth here is the seat of all pain arising from the body.... is how
the Bhagavad Gita puts it in a nutshell, and also from the mind and
is of an ever-changing nature.
In a world subject to so much distress from most painful diseases
which are legion, from violence, from innumerable ills afflicting the
human body and heart amidst a little unsteady happiness; a world
subject to continuous change, we begin to seek for something of
eternal value, a state transcending conditioning, which is permanent,
free, above sorrow.
The original sin is a mistaken identification of the Self with the
body, senses, and mind. The whole process of sadhana is the undoing
of this original error. Kabir calls this world a thorny garden and the
city of thieves. One who enters it gets entangled.
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad joyfully sings, As a falcon or an
eagle flying to and fro in the open sky and growing weary folds its
wings and sinks to rest so the Spirit of man hastens to that world where
finding rest he desires no desire and dreams no dream. And whatever
he has dreamt, be it that he was slain or oppressed or fallen into an
abyss or whatever fear he beheld in the waking world, he knows now
that it was from ignorance. Like a god, like a king he knows he is the
All. This is his highest joy. He has passed beyond all evil.

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Viswanatha Swami
A Hidden Gem
Murray Feldman
Viswanatha Swami first came to stay with Bhagavan when he was
about 19 years old. His father, Ramaswamy Iyer, was a first cousin
of Bhagavan.
I had the good fortune to spend considerable time with this great
devotee of Ramana Maharishi from April 1976, until he became ill
and passed away at 75 years of age on the 22nd November, 1979.
How he came to Bhagavan has been written about elsewhere. Here I
attempt to show how he exemplified, so wonderfully and devotedly
the teachings of Bhagavan.
When I first came to the Ashram in 1976, I sought out Mrs.
Osborne to hear about Bhagavan and to discuss his teachings
and their practical application. She told me that I should visit an
unassuming older devotee by the name of Viswanatha Swami who,
except for his work on The Mountain Path, was living quietly at
the back of the Ashram in a side room of the old dispensary.
Murray Feldman practises and teaches homoeopathy in Vancouver,
Canada. He first came to Bhagavan in February 1976. He planned on
staying for four days and stayed for four years. He has been visiting the
ashram on a regular basis since that time.
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I found his room near the dispensary the next day and went to
visit him around 4 pm. Timidly approaching his open door, I saw a
grey-bearded man sitting quietly on his bed with his legs dangling and
staring straight ahead. I asked him if he was Viswanatha Swami. He
nodded and gestured for me to enter and sit on the bench opposite
him. I asked him a question about the application of Who Am I.
He did not look at me but said very tenderly, Bhagavans teaching is
one of the Heart. At that moment, he closed his eyes and a beautiful
delicate silence filled the room. I too closed my eyes and we sat together
in this stillness. Time passed very quickly and after about an hour, he
opened his eyes and gestured for me to leave. He said that I could
come the next day around the same time if I wished to. This was the
beginning of an extremely beautiful and important period in my life.
I had planned to stay at the Ashram for only four days but nothing
pulled my heart elsewhere during the next couple of years. I am sure
it was to a large degree Viswanatha who made Bhagavan come alive
for me. It is very true that Bhagavans presence is profoundly felt at
the Ashram but Viswanatha brought Him alive as a Guru in the flesh.
After that remarkable first day, I went to visit Viswanatha daily.
For two months, he hardly spoke another word to me. But after that,
he told me many stories of being around Bhagavan. He represented
Him in such a beautiful and true way. His love for Bhagavan and
His teachings were evident in his words and his manner and he often
mentioned how still and beautiful Bhagavan was.
During those two months effortless peace became my constant
companion and I had the opportunity to sit with Viswanatha
daily and to watch him with other people. Ashram workers, old
devotees and others would come in and talk to him about their
problems. He gave advice, medicine, money, food and patience
to all those who came for help. He was always surrounded by
a wonderful peace. Even his movements seemed silent. I began
to feel that he embodied a culmination of the three yogas; deep
devotion for Bhagavan, jnana (wisdom) and effortless selfless
service. He constantly gave to others in such a kind way without
any hesitation.
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After a period he allowed me to spend more time with him and

we started to do pradakshina together. These were wonderful times as
he brought Ramana so alive on these walks. He would point out the
places where Bhagavan would sit and it was easy to imagine Ramana
in these places. Once when we were walking he said, People say that
Parvati walked here. This I dont know about but what I do know
is that Bhagavan Himself walked along this very place where we are
walking now. Words cannot explain the love that was in his voice as
he said this. When Viswanatha walked, he was so quiet. He walked
perfectly straight, rarely looking to the left or right: just silently
walking. One time when we did a pradakshina in the rainy season
we got soaking wet. When the rain started to come down, even here,
he showed his love for Ramana by reminding me of the gift of this
beautiful rain that Bhagavan was giving us. We laughed and laughed
with joy at this gift. When we arrived late at the Ashram we went in
to get food and Balu served us with equal joy. Viswanatha spoke with
great affection about Balu and how he loved to serve the devotees.
Once he told me how Bhagavan came to his room in the middle of
the night knocking on his door. Bhagavan said to him, Quick, quick,
lets go for pradakshina before anyone else finds out. The two of them
walked together and Bhagavan gave him teachings along the whole
circumambulation of the hill. Viswanatha had such a beautiful smile
when he told me about this. He did not smile a lot but when he did
his whole face beamed and when he laughed his whole body laughed.
Viswanatha always encouraged me to visit the places in the area
that were associated with Bhagavan. He would ask me if I had visited
places like Mango Tree Cave, Pavazhakkunru, and Turtle Rock (where
Bhagavan had his second death experience).
Once I did not visit Viswanatha for two days as I had dysentery.
I was staying in a small hut at Saraswati Nilayam and was shocked
and very touched when, who should I see approaching me at
4 pm but Viswanatha Swami! He said, with a smile and a chuckle,
Mohammed has not come to the mountain, so the mountain has
come to Mohammed. He gave me some chyavanaprash he had
brought. Viswanatha was very fond of chyavanaprash as a general
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tonic. After that, he said, come, we are going for a walk. I said that
I had dysentery but he replied that I would be fine. Needless to say,
I was fine. After walking for a while, I asked where we were going.
He told me, Its a secret and you will like it. We walked out of the
town to a small shrine. This was Gurumurtham one of the places
where Bhagavan had stayed in His early days. Viswanatha showed me
the indentation in the wall where Bhagavan had sat for long hours.
Viswanatha was always ready to talk about Bhagavan and his teachings.
During one period, I became very sluggish and dull. I decided to
do a retreat in Hyderabad with the well-known Buddhist meditation
teacher Goenkaji. When I returned from this retreat several people
were critical of my need to go away. This disturbed me so I thought I
would ask Viswanatha about it. I went to the Ashram in the morning
planning to see him in the evening. As I started walking up the steps by
the bookstore I met Viswanatha as he was coming out of the Ashram
office. He looked at me, smiled, and asked if I wanted to go for tea.
It was a hot summers day and he was carrying his umbrella. As we
were walking out of the Ashram, bells started to ring. Viswanatha
said, Sound comes out of silence, sound is sustained in silence
and sound returns to silence, silence is all. We drank the tea and I
thought this was a perfect time to talk with him, but I felt shy. We
walked back to his room and he said, Come into my room, there
is an article I want you to look at for The Mountain Path. He gave
me the perfect opportunity but I still felt shy to do so. After I had
read the article, he asked for my thoughts on it. He then asked me if I
had anything else to say and I said no. He said to come back around
four. As I left however, he called me back and said, Hey you, what
do you want? I was amazed at how Bhagavan had so wonderfully
set the whole thing up to help remove my doubts and worries. I told
Viswanatha about the Goenka meditation that I did and how the
meditation emphasizes the purification of the latent (unconscious)
mental tendencies. He looked at me so sweetly and slowly started to
lie down on his bed. As he was lying down he said, I know nothing
about the mind or its tendencies. All I know is, be asleep to it all. I am
sure to this day that his face changed complexion, almost becoming
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grey, and he started to snore. I was sitting there and he was snoring.
At that moment, an Ashram worker came in to see Viswanatha. He
saw Viswanatha sleeping there and he promptly lay down on a bench
as well and started to snore. I decided to lie down too on the bed
beside Viswanatha and went into a deep deep stillness. After a while,
I became aware of the noises around us and looked. Viswanatha was
rising from the bed and staring at me. He said very pointedly, Do
you understand? The Ashram worker was still snoring. Viswanatha
laughed and said, He does.
As I read over these few words, I see that they just cannot convey
the beauty of this great devotee of Bhagavan. His love for Bhagavan
and his gratitude to Him shone in every action he did and in every
word he uttered. It is strange that we never spoke about Viswanathas
initial meeting with Bhagavan, but everything he said and did reflected
his love and devotion. Sitting quietly at the back of the Ashram in
his room, he truly was a hidden gem.

Mother Mayas Magic Picture Show

Alan Jacobs
This so-called world you view, dear aspiring friend,
Is a crazed creation of ones ignorant mind;
Its produced by latent tendencies, that we find
From many previous lives, and in the end,
Its like a dream at night in which we pretend
We believe as real; but its nothing of the kind!
Its like a film, and the spool will soon unwind,
So pictures on the screen twill swiftly send.
Sages term it instantaneous creation,
It depends on the seer; but who is seeing?
So were trapped in fanciful fascination,
Tricked by coloured pictures that minds revealing.
This worlds a product of ones imagination
And were deceived by such a strange sensation.
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Vijayam
Chapter Three
Tulasidas Recovers from Infatuation
Nabaji Siddha

n an attempt to infuse dispassion in Tulasidas, Atma Ram said,

Dear son! You are a great treasure. You are learned in the Vedas
and endowed with discrimination. How can you allow yourself to be
tempted by the physical body, which is nothing but flesh, bones and
blood? The body is like a pot filled with filth and stench. How sad
that the lure of sex has turned your life upside down! Lust has ruined
even great ascetics like Viswamitra. Arent you inspired by the example
of the intrepid ascetic Suka, who stood his ground, unaffected by the
charms of Rambha, and thus earned the adoration of even the Trinity?
These words wrought no change in the condition of Tulasidas.
Overcome by self-pity, Atma Ram blamed himself for begetting a
son who lived such a loathsome life. He wondered by what means he
could free his son from his obsession. He became thoughtful, If that
woman could be here now, I would extinguish the fire of his desire
for her with my powers.
It is exactly at this moment that the Lord, who is sworn to protect
His devotees, summoned the celestial woman and asked her to go
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back to Tulasidas to console him. Heartened by this, the woman

reached the garden. On the sudden appearance of the woman, Atma
Ram asked her in surprise, Who are you, young woman? Why have
you come here?
Bowing to him, she said, O Mahatma, I am a celestial being. I
come here sometimes to refresh myself under the cool shade of these
trees.
On seeing her, Tulasidas once again became unconscious with
excessive yearning. Then, the other boys informed Atma Ram that it
was this same woman who had cast the spell on Tulasidas and reduced
him to this state of misery and ridicule.
Atma Ram gently asked the woman to come near him. When she
approached him, using his mystical powers, Atma Ram extracted all
the blood from her body and transferred it into a pot. Immediately,
the woman became emaciated and pale, losing all her beauty and
charm. Reduced to a skeleton, she looked like a ghost. Her suave
demeanour and coquetry turned to ugliness. She could not move her
limbs. She was like a withered tree, stripped of its leaves and deprived
of its life-essence.
Reviving his son who was unconscious, and showing to him the
womans pathetic condition, Atma Ram said, This body is a container
of filth. There is no end to satiating ones desire for the pleasures
derived out of the perishable body. Now, look at her body which set
you on fire! Do you feel any attraction for this corpse-like thing? Why
do you want to wallow in such hollow pleasures? Lusting for women
leads one away from the righteous path. It destroys ones merits. One
loses all friends and relations. It breeds jealousy, ill-will and deception.
Your load of sins will multiply. You will revolve in the cycle of birth
and death for ever. Misery, diseases, unrest and lack of peace will
stalk you. Do I need to list the names of people who descended into
hell due to lust? The stories of The Ramayana and The Mahabharata
should be enough to show where lust leads.
Even if one is a Vedic scholar, or has taken to repeating the name
of God, or worships the almighty Lord punctiliously and practises
awesome austerities, all such merits will turn into dust if he even
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looks at a woman, other than his wife, with lustful eyes. Desire for
another woman makes man a terrible sinner. One who is invincible
against such temptations is indeed a hero! While the world worships
the latter, it abhors the former. He who indulges in the evil act of
adultery will be born blind or an imbecile.
If you approach a chaste woman with evil desire, the fire of her
chastity will burn you. You will be punished mercilessly in hell. Chaste
women have performed many miracles. When Sati was humiliated,
the great yajna was reduced to ashes. When Sita was slandered, the
earth quaked and cracked. There are examples galore.
It is the power of such chastity that makes the rains fall in season,
keeps the sun and moon in their orbits and keeps alive all the dharmas
in the world. Noble women remain unshakable in their dharma of
chastity, whatever the trials they have to pass through. They stand
firm in their purity even if the supreme Lord seeks their favour, or
the sun and moon fail to make their daily rounds, or the earth turns
upside down, or emperors shower on them precious gifts or scriptures
enjoin niyama and nishta upon them!
While Atma Ram was discoursing thus to his son on the dire
consequences of an immoral life and on the grandeur of a pure life,
the celestial woman who stood motionless was amazed at the prowess
of the father, whose power could sap all her beauty and charm. She
was overcome by fear and fatigue. A desperate prayer went forth from
her helpless heart to the Lord, O Lord, if You do not come to my
rescue now, I dont know what else will befall me. The playful Lord,
infusing into her enough vitality, released her from her predicament.
Instantly, she soared into the sky and disappeared.
Thereafter, Atma Ram talked to Tulasidas about the code of
morality and sense control and slowly disillusioned him about the
charm of the celestial nymph. He said, From this day, give up the
desire for women other than your wife. Dont ignore my words and
go chasing after sensual pleasures and women of low morals. Never
walk in the direction where prostitutes live. If you succumb to their
wiles once again, your redemption will be endangered and you will
have to suffer regret for the rest of your life. Dont hurt any living
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being or utter a lie for any reason. Worship God without fail and
be regular in your japa. Dont indulge in deceitful acts or join the
company of evil-doers. Remain steadfast in righteous deeds. Dont
waste your life by loitering in the streets; dont be uncaring towards
the weak or slander spiritual guides and mahatmas.
Gradually, he brought about a change in Tulasidas mind. He did
not want to leave his son in the service of the emperor in the city
where temptations abounded. He made ready to leave with his family
for his ancestral home in Rajapur. There, he left his son in the charge
of his wife and said, O my dear partner! Call our daughter-in-law
Mamata here to live with you both. Take good care of our son and
live happily. I intend to leave soon for Naimisharanyam to dwell in
the company of the great ascetics and meditate on Brahman.
The noble woman, however, was reluctant to part with him. When
she got ready to accompany him, Atma Ram dissuaded her, saying,
If you come with me, who will look after Tulasidas and guide him
on the right path? Dont reject my words. Your dharma and austerity
lie in obeying my wish. This alone will secure you an immortal place
among noble women.
Though I have studied the scriptures I have been unable to
practise the truths and obtain the direct experience of the wisdom
contained therein. This has caused me anguish. My days as a
householder are over. Dont argue with me any further. I have had
my share of the travails of worldly life. If you ever feel disenchanted
with this samsaric life, then come to Naimisharanyam by all means.
There you will be blessed with the holy company of saints and sages
and walk the path of bliss.
The path, taught by my preceptor, and this life are worlds apart.
The thirst to engage in meditation and austerities overwhelms me. I
want to remain absorbed in the bliss of the Atman. He who neglects
spiritual practices is equal to a corpse. Human life is as evanescent as
a bubble on the water. I do not want to fritter away this life like an
ignorant man. Tapas is the bridge to cross the ocean of worldliness. It
is indeed tough to live a life of mind control, which alone helps one
to traverse the dark passage of bondage and attain ones true nature.
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It is not the nature of the mind to incline towards rare bliss,

but rather to wallow in the common pleasures. Unless one courts
the company of saints who are inseparable from Truth, the state
of effortless abidance in the Self is unattainable. When people slog
even to gain the trifles of worldly and heavenly pleasures, to what
lengths of self-denial and effort should one resort in order to attain
the exalted state? Rare indeed is a person in all the three worlds who
is freed from worldly tangles and who experiences the magnificent
glory of spiritual illumination. Let me proceed on my quest, dear
woman, without placing any obstacle before me.
Witnessing his fathers dispassion, Tulasidas felt contrite about his
own condition. With tears welling up in his eyes, he bowed to his father
and said, Please allow me to accompany you to Naimisharanyam.
Atma Ram replied, My dear child, your attitude is positive and
righteous. However, detachment can take root only after you go
through the experience of worldly life; sudden dispassion caused by
listening to someones talk or discourse will not be enduring. After
some time, the mind which has not experienced the worldly pleasures
in a dharmic way will lose its dispassion and hanker with more ferocity
for the same pleasures. Such a man will lose the merits of both worlds
the dharma of a householder as well as that of ascetics and end
up as an outcaste, having betrayed the norms of both. It would be just
like a prostitute shunning her way of life for a short time on listening
to a discourse and falling back into the same mode of life soon. Such
dispassion is temporary.
On our own conviction, that sense-indulgence will impede our
spiritual evolution and hurtle us towards hell, we should embrace a
sadhus life. When we try to resist the temptation of even one sense
we fail miserably. While so, how can we resist the onslaught of the
deceitful mind, which plays havoc with all senses, madly dancing to
the music of external stimuli? We can hardly hope to realize God,
given these imponderables. Even loss of honour and ridicule of
society do not spur a man to keep his sensory life in check. How,
then, will he purify the treacherous mind and devote his life to the
Lord?
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Only a woman of adamantine will can resolutely protect her purity

through thick and thin, whereas you are a boy, already given to wild
passions. Your wife is an innocent young girl. Your wish to accompany
me, leaving her behind, is a passing whim on your part. Your path is
to go through the worldly life, enjoying the sense pleasures within the
norms of social and scriptural sanctions, and attaining dispassion in
due course. Then, courting the fellowship of saints, following a high
standard of spiritual discipline, you would aspire for a higher life of
eternal bliss. This is the suitable course of life for you.
Then, Atma Ram departed for Naimisharanyam where, inspired
by association with exalted souls, he gave up all attachments and,
following spiritual practices sincerely, he was drowned in the waves
of eternal bliss of Brahman.

Who Can Be Known By Enquiry

Alan Jacobs
Who can be known by enquiring who frees?
The Master who lives in the cave of the heart,
Not separate from ones Self, being the start,
Of the final search from bond to release.
The Sage appears when the soul is ready,
With strong gaze of grace he says be aware
That God and his wisdom are already there!
He acts as a brake to make the mind steady,
While mercy flows freely in sunshine and air,
Hindered only by our being unready.
If you come to him, meekly with an empty cup,
His grace is then bound to fill it up.
The Masters glance is the grace of the Lord,
He cuts you free with his mighty sword.
108 Sonnets for Awakening and Selected Poems by Alan Jacobs is available
from Mantra Books (www.mantra-books.net) John Hunt Publishing Ltd.
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TRANSLATION

Arunachala Purana
Chapter Four
In Which Parvati Devi Masked the Divine
Eyes
Saiva Ellappa Navalar
Translated by Robert Butler

In the great city of Anantapuram (dwelt) seven Brahmins (who)

in their age of indiscretion committed numberless deeply evil deeds.
Subsequently, when wisdom dawned upon them, they meditated upon
the feet of Brahma, who rides upon the swan as his vehicle, and for many
days took only green leaves for food, performing arduous tapas. (289)
At that time Brahma appeared to them and said, Sinners, if you
perform tapas in the prescribed manner on the seven mountains, these
heads covered by matted locks will be reduced to dust along with your
[evil] karma by the spear hurled by Murugan. Four-faced Brahma
disappeared, and they undertook that tapas (as prescribed). (290)
Robert Butler devotes his time to the translation of Tamil classical and
spiritual texts. He has recently published a grammatical commentary on
Ulladu Narpadu, and a translation of the biography of Manikkavacagar.
These are available for online preview, purchase or download at the following
link:http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=1212666.
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Your well-honed spear clove apart the seven mountains along with
those seven who sat atop them. Know that the waters [it brought]
grew red with their blood as they perished. Therefore you are not at
fault in this. She finished speaking, and Murugan worshipped her
feet and remained there in joyful mood. Meanwhile the ruddy hue of
the heavens grew darker, just as [the waters] had grown red with the
blood of those great sages.
(291)
The gloom spread abroad; it was if the darkness that diffused itself
previously, when She had masked the Lords eyes, had pursued Her
to that place, just as the karma that envelops us follows us into our
next birth. The heavens were filled with stars; it was as if the gods,
seeing that Parvati was residing in a little shelter of plantain trees,
had stretched out a pearly canopy of their own for Her.
(292)
As the moon arose, it was as if the evening, as Durga, had cut
off the head of the night, in the form of the asura Mahisa, and was
displaying her blood-soaked form in the evening sky, whilst holding
a crystal lingam in her hand. Then the moon set in the west, and the
red sun arose, like the eye on the forehead of the Lord whose throat
is adorned by the poison halahala, opening with a brilliant flash to
banish the surrounding darkness which had fallen as his other eyes
were masked.
(293)
Completing Her morning observances in the Ceyaru river, which
is as sacred as the Ganges, Parvati mounted her golden palanquin and
journeyed on as the Vedas thundered out. Espying the noble mountain
Annamalai, which excels as the mountain of fire, which consumes, like
mountains of cotton, the evil karma of devotees who have embarked
upon the path to freedom from the [three] base defilements, She
prostrated herself before it.
(294)
Victorious, [those who dwell in] the burning desert tracts divide up
the spoils plundered [from wayfarers] and make offerings to Durga;
in the mountain areas [the Velan] performs the veri dance; in all the
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woodlands and pastures, the women of the herdsman caste dance

the kuravai; the villages of the agricultural lands conduct festivals in
celebration of Indra, who(se garland) diffuses a sweet perfume; and
all [the people of ] the groves bordering the ocean dry (the meat of ) the
fierce swordfish in their yards, and then dance under the influence of
their god [Varuna].1
(295)
Pouring forth waters (deep enough) to hide bright(ly caparisoned)
elephants with their trunks; bringing joy by spreading out over the
great, pure earth; bearing along gold mixed in its current; rising
in flood with large amounts of Indian saffron dissolved in it, and
buffeting (honey-filled) beehives so that they broke asunder, the holy
river resembled Vishnu himself, glorious in the four directions.
Alternative translation:
Pouring down upon the illustrious demon Khara a (rain of) arrows,
so that he was completely hidden; delighting in the company of pure
maidens; keeping company with his consort Lakshmi; manifesting his
greatness so that the hearts of Vaishnavite devotees completely melted,
and vanquishing the demon Madhu2 in battle, the holy river resembled
Visnu himself, glorious in the four directions.
(296)
Classical Tamil Akam poetry, which deals with love and the inner life of the
mind and heart in general, is structured in five divisions, five types of landscape
called tinai, each with its own distinctive mood, time and season, and typical
flora, fauna, inhabitants, social customs, artefacts and so on. The kurinci tinai
mountain tracts is associated with lovers union; it is here that the veri dance takes
place, an exorcism ritual performed by the Velan shaman-priest of Murugan;
the palai tinai desert tracts, is associated with separation; the mullai tinai
woodland and pasture, with the heroines patient waiting for the return of her
lover; the neytal tinai maritime tracts, with anxious waiting, pining; and the
marutam tinai agricultural tracts with lovers quarrels and sulking. Of course
a single area like that around Tiruvannamalai could not be associated with all
five, other than in the imagination of the poet. The following verses, leading up
to Parvatis arrival in the city itself, are all set in the landscape of the agricultural
tracts marutam tinai.
2.
Khara and Madhu are asuras slain by Visnu in his incarnation as Rama.

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As the waters came on, spreading over the land, the fine rice paddy
grew up and trembled (in the breeze), as if [mother earth] grew cold,
and her hair bristled. The ears grew green, like the feathers of the green
parrots who inhabit the wooded groves; then, as they took shape and
ripened, they rose up erect, like the necks of crowing cockerels. Finally,
the (ripe) ears drooped, as if paying homage, thinking, This is the
place where Lady Uma is performing tapas.
(297)
Ever watchful, the ploughmen, judging when it is ripe, reap the
crop, tying it in bundles. When they pile up the unthreshed paddy
in heaps, it seems as if the Seven Mountains are rising up to do battle
with the realm of Indra; and when they release their oxen to tread out
the paddy, it is as if the horses of the sun are circling in the heavens.
Separating the straw they pile it up in mounds like Mount Mandara
itself. However much they gave away, those fields of the agricultural
lands would never run short of paddy.
(298)
[In the paddy fields] dark carp, seeing the reflection of the eyes of
the women of the ploughman caste, rise up and approach, thinking,
These are carp like us! Then drawing near, and seeing the reflection
of their curving eyebrows, they become afraid, thinking they are bows,
and draw back. Winged insects approach those beautiful faces, which
induce the infatuation of desire, thinking that they are lotus blossoms,
then fly away startled on seeing the reflection of their noses, which
look like champaca3 flowers.
(299)
In the paddy fields the labourers grab at the calves of the girls [as they
pull out the weeds], mistaking them for varal fish, and then grab again,
mistaking the tops of their feet for turtles. All over the agricultural
lands the (pink) lotus and the blue water lily pour forth nectar, as if
3

The flower is Michelia champaca, and belongs to the magnolia family. Its blossoms
are large and yellow, and are highly perfumed and attractive to insects. It is not
clear why the blossoms should be mistaken for the reflections of noses, or why
insects should be startled on seeing their reflection.

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they are weeping, (complaining) to the winged insects4 that they have
been bested by the faces and eyes of those girls with breasts like young
coconut fruits.
(300)
(Startled), as buffaloes, angered by their own reflection, charge into
the deep waters, geese and young pelicans fly off into the rich farmland
landscape. Labourers wearing jewelled ornaments that sparkle like fire
beat their harvest drums, and, for lack of the accompanying sound
of any reed pipe, the host of winged insects buzzing around the girls
braids, pipes up a tune (in its place).
(301)
The agricultural lands were indeed at their most glorious, like
Indras royal elephant, with chains forged from all the hordes of
buzzing insects, displaying its fan-like ears in the form of golden ears
of paddy, exhibiting an abundance of surpassing richness, and oozing a
thick syrup of fresh nectar.
(302)
Leaving the rice fields with lotus blossoms [that resound to] the
music [of winged insects], Parvati approached along the northern
avenue (of the temple), which the people of the earth praise, arriving
at the street of tall temple cars5 bedecked with banners that reach up
to the heavens, in order to go and praise the holy lotus feet of Lord
Annamalai.
(303)
When the moon passes over the summit of the (temples tall)
gopuram, which all men revere, the very stain (on its face) disappears,
due to [the brilliance of ] the matchless diamonds [embedded in it],
and the suns green horses all turn coral-red, due [to the radiance] of
the rubies with which it is inlaid.
(304)
Tamil text: karumpinutan to the sugarcane has been amended to curumpinutan,
to the winged insects; it does not make any sense for the water flowers to
complain to the sugarcane.
5
This is Car Street on the eastern side of the temple, where the great temple cars
stand to this day.
4

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The heavenly Ganga runs dark like the Yamuna, due to the
beautiful (blue) radiance of the sapphires that adorn the walls and
ramparts (that reach up to) the earth-nurturing clouds, and the various
other elevated locations, which rival Mount Meru in height. (305)
Mistaking them for grass, the horses of the sun graze on the
spreading rays of the green (emeralds) that adorn the upper terraces
where beautiful maidens dance, to the sound of drums that roar like
the ocean.
(306)
Traversing those beautiful thoroughfares, and entering the
beautiful temple, She perceived the Supreme One, the Master who
rules my heart, wise Lord Sonagiri, and made obeisance to Him with
melting heart. Then, accompanied by numbers of saktis, She retired
(307)
and made her way to [the place called] Sthaleswara.6
(There dwelt) crores of tapasvins, resembling Kausika,7 great in
tapas, with their toes resting on a spike, their legs bent back, fixing
their gaze upon the nose, kindling the (inner) fire, liquifying the
bright ambrosial nectar and consuming that pure amrita.8 (308)
Gathered there were many crores of Siva jnanis, who entertain no desire
whatsoever other than that of removing the three defilements, developing
a perfect equanimity towards both good and evil deeds, and destroying
the mind, in their quest to attain the liberation in which one dwells as the
[supreme] Self, upon the elimination of the [personal] self.
(309)
(To be continued )

Sthalesvara, literally the Supreme god of sthalas.

Kausika, the descendant of King Kusa and Brahma himself, is the great Vedic sage
Visvamitra, whose story is recounted in the Balakanda of the Sanskrit Ramayana
of Valmiki and the Tamil Ramayanam of Kampan.
8
During yogic samadhi, the flame of the yogagni - fire of yoga, extending from the
base of the spine to the head, melts the amrita in the brahmarandhra (sahasrara
chakra). In that deep state of meditation that nectar of divine bliss flows down
from the sahasrara chakra and the yogi consumes it with joy and ecstasy.
6
7

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BOOK REVIEWS
THE PHILOSOPHICAL VERSES OF YOGAVASISTHA An English
Translation of Yogavasistha-sara with Commentary and Sanskrit Text by
Swami Bhaskarananda. Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600004.
2009. pp91, Rs35. www.sriramakrishnamath.org
The Yogavasistha is one of the great works in Advaita Vedanta. It records the
ancient teaching given to Lord Rama by his guru Vasishta. It is sometimes
known as the Maharamayana. Both are said to have been written by Valmiki.
Bhagavan quoted it often and included in the Supplementary Forty Verses
on Reality, verses 21 to 27, which come from Yogavasistha.
The original text is a massive work of some 32,000 couplets. A shorter
version called the Laghu Yogavasishtha was culled by a Kashmir pundit said
to have lived in the 9th Century. The essence of this mighty work was then
further reduced in essence to 223 verses by an unknown pundit, which has
become a classic and there are a number of English translations available.
It is translated by a senior Swami of the Ramakrishna order who divides
the book into two sections: English and a Sanskrit devanagari script. This
is a useful addition to the literature. The translation is crisp with judicious
comments and short editorial interpolations to help the reader. TV
Ramamurthy
SOCRATES WITHOUT TEARS The Lost Dialogues of Aeschines
Restored by Alan Jacobs. O Books, Winchester, UK, 2011. pp.92, US$9.99.
ISBN: 978-1-84694-568-7 www.o-books.com
Western philosophy is essentially based on the Socratic dialogues in
which the historical Socrates in the 4th Century BCE discussed ethical
philosophical and metaphysical problems. Platos Socrates made significant
contributions to the how we know things and in the field of logic. The record
of these dialogues was preserved for the most part by the dialogues of Plato
and the accounts of Xenophon. History has debated how true they were to
the original since they recorded a different picture of Socrates. There were
others who also recorded conversations with Socrates, among whom were
Aristotle and Aeschines. It is difficult to know what account is the most
accurate since these surviving works are often philosophical or dramatic in
content. They are not factual histories as we would understand them today.
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Xenophon, for example, is said to be a more reliable witness than Plato who
tended to embellish Socrates as a holy man. We owe to Socrates the saying
I only know that I know nothing.
When the Roman Empire fell many of the libraries which housed
important texts were destroyed. Among the few which survived the most
significant was the library of Alexandria which in its turn was destroyed in
the Muslim invasion in the 8th Century. Various fragments of this library
survived and sporadically turn up. The present book claims to be the
fragments of dialogues recently discovered at Cairo in 2008, as recorded by
Aeschines who according to the ancient records was more robust and earthy
in his portrayal of Socrates. The book under review consists of six dialogues
and a brief account of Socrates last days in prison. The most interesting
dialogue is Psyche or a Dream Within a Dream which purportedly shows
the influence of Vedanta. Socrates speaks of waking up from a dream within
a dream and extrapolates upon the possibility that this world too in which he
speaks to his audience is a dream. Socrates then surmises that this realisation
came as a message from his inner Self. In the known Socratic dialogues he
refers a number of times to his inner guidance, an oracle which guides him
along the right course of action.
Christopher Quilkey
WHO ARE YOU REALLY! A Travel Guide to Life by Stuart Rose. O Books,
Winchester, UK, 2010.pp.117, US$19.95. ISBN: 978-1-84694-343-0
www.o-books.com
Stuart Rose is involved with a small ashram in Wales. He read for his PhD
in Religious Studies in mid-life after a diverse career and a great deal of
travelling. He was introduced to the teachings of Bhagavan in the early
1990s. He has written four books and many articles on spiritual themes
and edits the writings of an Indian yogi, Swami Maheshananda. The reason
the reviewer has made these initial comments is to show the author has
the credentials to write a short authoritative exposition on the question
of identity and spirituality. Many so-called teachers in the West today are
qualified to a greater or lesser extent. It is rare to find someone who has the
intellectual equipment, the sincere practice and experience.
The author has an original voice coupled with wisdom and familiarity
with his subject. What we are seeing today in the West are the first buds of
a native-born spirituality rooted in the traditions of India but living and
applying those principles in a western setting. We do not see the Sanskrit
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terms essential to explain Vedanta in its traditional context but we do see the
underlying principles couched in modern terms without loss of authenticity.
The authors explanations of the mental body its mind, memory, intellect
and I-ness is a case in point. The language to explain the vijnanamaya
kosha and the manaomaya kosha is apt and free of technical obscuration.
It is a practical book. The middle section of 112 Pointers to a Brighter
Lifestyle are stimulating and creative. The thread running through it is
existential questioning. At times it verges of the self-help variety of books
profusely available today but does not fall into the trap of offering an easy
panacea of psychological tips. It is more subtle than that. Andrew Clement
SIMILES OF THE BUDDHA An Introduction by Hellmuth Hecker.
Buddhist Publication Society, PO Box 61, 54 Sangaraja Mawatha, Kandy,
Sri Lanka. 2009. pp206, Price not mentioned. ISBN: 978-955-24-0336-1
www.bps.ik
The challenge teachers face when imparting subtle knowledge is how to
create helpful hooks which a student can easily assimilate and memorise
the intricacies of doctrine and practice. Similes are useful tools and have
been employed in all traditions. They make spiritual matters easier to
understand and can contain multiple layers of meaning. The Mahabharata
and the Ramayana is replete with similes. They were Sri Ramakrishnas
favourite methods of teaching.
Employing concrete sense experiences and stories, a teacher takes the
image to a deeper level and opens the eyes of the student to the possibility
they contain an illuminative insight that can transform their behaviour and
outlook for the better. The sense world is a reflection of the mind and these
similes assist us to see the connection between the outer and inner worlds
and the repercussions our thoughts and attitudes have both on ourselves
and the world we inhabit.
The books compiler claims that the Buddhas discourses contain the
richest mine of similes that cover all aspects of theory and practice. The
book is not an introduction to the Buddhas teachings and one requires
some knowledge of doctrine to appreciate the subtleties the similes
express. Nor is it a comprehensive collection of the Buddhas similes.
Some of the examples from the various sutras are complex and only a
diligent follower of the Buddha would gain an understanding of their
intent. There is a pedantic edge to the book which may put off the less
than conscientious reader.
Peter Pichlemann

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ASHRAM BULLETIN
Pali Thirtam
The Pali Thirtam which is adjacent to the ashram was completely
dried out both by the intense summer sun and the paucity of
monsoon rain from the previous year. The ashram embarked on
cleaning out the silt and deepening the tank. For many decades the
ashram has maintained the holy tank. The rich mud (kalimannu)
dredged from the bottom of the tank is nutrient-rich, and has been
distributed to the ashram gardens while hard bedrock stones has
been used for levelling and construction work.
Homa for Rain
Due to the unseasonal weather conditions and the lack of suitable
rain the ashram initiated a homa in honour of Varuna. The Varuna
Japa Homa is a rite designed to please Lord Varuna and bring rain.
Sri Ramanasramam priests and pundits, in solidarity with mutts and
temples in South India, performed the Varuna Japa Homa. The Ashram
event took place on Monday, August 20th starting at 5.30am with
Vighneswara Puja, Punyahavachanam, Mahanyasam and Varuna Japa
Homa followed by purnahuti and deeparadhana. Immediately afterward
there was a special abhishekam at Pali Thirtam. The month of August did
bring some rain before and after the homa and Pali Thirtam, after being
completely dry for six months, is now filled to about 40% capacity.
Independence Day
The 15th of August is a national holiday and in solidarity with the
rest of the country, the ashram observed National Independence Day
by raising the countrys flag atop the Ashram dining hall. Later that
morning, the new library (Granthalaya), was officially opened by
ashram president, V.S.Ramanan.
Bhagavans Advent
On the 1st of September,1896, a boy of sixteen arrived at Arunachala,
never to leave His presence again. The encounter would prove fateful
not just in the lives of those who gathered round him then but for all
posterity. On August 31st, 2012, sixty devotees from Madurai Ramana
Mandiram stopped in at the Arayaninallur Temple, Tirukoilur, and
chanted Aksharamanamalai in remembrance of Bhagavans stay there
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last century. They then proceeded to Ramanasramam, and the next

morning the 116th Advent celebrations began with Tamil parayanam
in Bhagavans shrine at 5.30am, 1st September. Mahanyasa puja was
then performed before a large gathering of devotees.
Inner Path
From the beginning of August the Forestry Department of
Tiruvannamalai has blocked the entrances to the inner pradakshina
path and effectively banned its use by devotees, saying that since the
path passes through reserve forest, it is an offence to trespass it. The
Forestry office claims that frequent outbreak of fire on the hill is due
in part to the illegal entry into the forests round the hill. There is
apparently a fine for anyone who violates the prohibition. Increasing
numbers of people have used the inner path particularly during full
moon nights both because of the encouragement of new ashrams
which have sprouted up round the hill and because the regular outer
path on the township road has become increasingly commercialised
and ugly. With more and more people using the inner path it has
inevitably resulted in degradation of the forest area. The Forestry office
also intends to remove all the marker stones which guide devotees.
Road Construction
Road work has begun on the roads to Tiruvannamalai from Chennai
and Bangalore. It is part of a major project to link Puducherry and
Bangalore by a first class highway, NH-66. There will be considerable
disruption on the roads during 2012 and through 2013. One estimate
says it may take eighteen months to complete the work. A report in
The Hindu on 8th December 2010, said that some 19,000 tamarind
and neem trees will be axed in the process. The Hindu also quoted
NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) officials who said they
would make all efforts to save as many trees as possible. They also said
the NHAI would plant three trees for every tree felled. Toll gates may
be set up near Singarapettai, Tiruvannamalai and Gingee. Once the
road is finished it should reduce travel time between Tiruvannamalai
and Chennai by at least half an hour.
Work on a by-pass road to the south of Tiruvannamalai connecting
the Tindivanam and Bangalore roads has commenced. It begins
some five kilometers out on the Bangalore road, passes near the
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Rangammal Hospital and behind the Samudramaeri (large tank),

and then connects up with the ring-road to the east which presently
joins the Tirukoilur and Tindivanam roads.
Obituaries
Sri M. Janakiraman, father of J. Jayaraman, head librarian at
the ashram, was absorbed on the 4th June, Vaishakha Paurnami,
at Tiruvannamalai after a short illness. He was born on the 15th
September, 1921. He commanded the love and respect of all in his
Post and Telegraph Department from which he retired as Post Master
General. During his visits to the ashram, though a healthy ardent
agnostic, he would be seen standing reverently gazing Bhagavans
statue and the Ramaneswara lingam at the shrine. He was liked by
devotees for his quite, gentle disposition and winning friendly smile.
Sri Suryanandan was born on the 18th December, 1922 to P. S.
Ramaswami and Janaki Ammal. A devotee of Bhagavan from a young
age, he joined the British Royal Air Force at seventeen and saw service
in the far-flung outposts of the British Empire. In October 1947, he
was air-lifted to Kashmir along with thirty soldiers of the Sikh light
infantry division to secure Srinagar Airport
where he served as radio operator.
In 1965 he married S. Mahalakshmi,
daughter of Prof. K. Swaminathan. As
career demanded, the couple shifted to
Belgaum and then Kolkata, and in both
places, conducted Ramana Satsangs. After
retirement as deputy director of Civil
Aviation in 1986, the two made their
home at Arunachala. PRS volunteered
his services at Arunachala Reforestation
Society, eventually serving as Vice-President and de facto Secretary.
Known for his self-effacing, compassionate disposition and unfailing
devotion to Bhagavan, P. R. Suryanandan was loved and respected
by all. In recent years, though suffering poor health, he nevertheless
maintained his cheerful good spirits right up till the end when, at
the age of 89, in the early morning hours of the 29th of August, he
merged in the Feet of Arunachala.

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